Nemesis One Half: Banishment
by Sub-Zero879
Summary: -Old- Another mishap with Happosai ends with Ranma trapped in the Silver Millennium, a time when the Moon Kingdom was corrupt and facing rebellion. Apprentice to the Senshi of Nemesis, Ranma has the chance to make a change. Ranma/BSSM/Demonata crossover.
1. Prologue

Summary: Ranma gets hit by a scroll and sent to the past. HE becomes the Senshi for the rogue planet Nemesis and tries to make a difference in the corrupt Moon Kingdom. Ranma/BSSM/Demonata crossover. (A companion fic to the main story, Nemesis One Half. Can see the entirety of what Ranma went through in the Moon Kingdom)

Pairing: Normally I'm very blunt and open about this. This time, however, you are better off just knowing: Ranma/harem. If you like that sort of thing, read on, if not then it's reasonable to turn around here. The only specifics I'll give is that it is none of the fiancees.

Changes in Universes:

_Ranma: _There is a restructuring in the histories of the Phoenix people and the Amazons.

_Sailor Moon:_ The Moon Kingdom has become a prejudiced and corrupt kingdom, with only an illusion of utopian peace. Additionally, Princess Serenity's mother, the queen, has been redesigned and turned into my own character, by the name of Crystal Serenity. Magic has been altered to accommodate Demonata-style magic. There are a couple of other changes you'll notice as well, if you are a die hard fan.

(Not really necessary to have read for this fic)_ Demonata:_ Kah-Gash has been removed. Death (Shadow) has been redesigned into a concept of an Incarnate, in his case the Incarnate of Death, Death given physical form. While Death plays little to no part in this fic, the idea behind an Incarnate stays. Also, since there is no Kah-Gash, Bec's sudden increase of powers in the fourth book is something Lord Loss can _do_ to people, if he chooses.

**Disclaimer:** Ranma One Half and all components do not belong to me. Sailor Moon and all components do not belong to me. Demonata and all components do not belong to me. In all fairness, the worlds merged and expanded within this work of fanfiction do not belong to me. This is nonprofit, simply entertainment expanding on others ideas. Give them the credit, not myself.

Wording:

-"Talking"

-_Thoughts_

-**"Deep Voice"**

-"(Panda Sign)"

* * *

Nemesis One Half: Banishment - Prologue

* * *

Ranma had been having an extraordinarily lucky day, thus far.

To anyone else, that would translate to an extraordinarily _normal_ day. No freak water accidents to activate his curse; no sudden conflicts with his rivals; no jealous confrontations with his fiancées; no strange contact with magical artifacts. In short, the day had been entirely normal, as was standard to any of eighteen year old youth in Tokyo at the time.

It was almost unnerving, to be honest.

That's why he was almost glad when Akane punted him high and far, for a reason _slightly_ his fault. Presently, he was lying with his back in a concrete crater, just a few feet off from a fountain. This park had turned into a common landing zone for him, as was evident by the many other craters littering the general area, though strangely those other impacts were concentrated in the fountain, not outside like today's landing.

Gracefully picking himself up, Ranma again had that flash of unease caused by this lack of the usual chaos surrounding his life. All this good luck was appearing almost ominous.

Ranma then begin his return home from his detour in Juuban back to Nerima, his own district. The distance between the two could only be covered by the subway... or Akane's mallet. Knowing his luck, Ranma figured he wouldn't have enough yen for the transaction, after both buying his lunch at school and the dealings he often had with Nabiki. He could, in an incredible display of martial arts, jump from roof to roof all the way home. Unfortunately, that took energy – energy he usually needed to fend off the daily problems and chaos that filled his life.

But then, to Ranma's surprise and growing fear, he _did_ have enough money for the subway ticket. Wordlessly, he bought the ticket and boarded the transport, and though he didn't really believe in superstitions, he couldn't help but wonder what this could mean for him.

It was an hour later Ranma finally shuffled his way through the door at the Tendo Dojo, currently with a drenched shirt yet very male. To his surprise, he entered the house to find everyone asleep save Kasumi, despite twilight just finishing outside.

Kasumi saw his wet state of dress and brought him a towel as he removed his shirt. Exasperated amusement tinging her voice, she asked, "Was it the water pipes again?"

Ranma smirked, but then shook his head as he dried himself. "It splashed me, of course, but that ain't all that happened. Some ramen chef chose that exact moment to empty out his hot water. It's kinda creepy, if you ask me." He shook his head an let the towel hang over his shoulders and shrugged. "Today's been too... _normal_ for my taste. I'm telling you, something big is gonna happen soon. I can feel it."

Across the district, a small man slipped a bag off his shoulders. With a tired sigh, Happosai began rummaging through his sack, for once not filled solely with girls' undergarments. A slip of paper and a pair of scrolls took his attention for a time, then he nodded to himself.

"Ah, Ranma, my student, you have come along nicely," the aged master mused aloud. "Now for the final test."

With that, the little man shouldered his bag and began heading back to the dojo. Of course, the kinds of tests Happosai had weren't something one would _want_ to pass.

XxX

Ranma shook the final hazes of sleep off just in time to land on his feet, surprisingly a few feet away from the koi pond. With an arrogant smirk, he shouted, "Your aim's getting rusty, Old Man!"

Soon, a panda jumped out the window and began to lay into Ranma. As they fought, it became clear that Ranma was going to win. Although, with the underhandedness that Ranma should have been used to, the panda did a sneaky move. It's furry foot slammed right between his legs after a feinted punch. The panda then held up a sign that read, "(That's why you _let_ yourself fall into the koi pond. I call it, the Saotome Boy Remover!)" With a final grunt, the panda headed off towards the kitchen.

The poor boy didn't have the strength to retaliate as he was currently clutching the hurting spot like its recovery meant his life. After a few moments, he managed to make small steps back into the dojo, hoping he still had enough energy to fend off the panda. Kasumi brought in the food and the fights began again.

Later, both Ranma and Akane headed together to Furinken High. Along the way, Ranma was almost horrified to not have any encounters along the way. To add to this, the old lady with the ladle poured the water just in front of him as they passed. By then, even Akene noticed how... not normal things were. It appeared yesterday's strangeness was continuing to today as well.

The two arrived at the school on time, surprising both of them. They went through their classes without any interruptions. At lunch time, however, things manged to roughly to reach a semblance of normality, much like yesterday. Right _after_ Ranma had finished eating, Akane marched up to him again, mallet drawn this time, and before he could sputter out a divergence, she hit him off into LEO.

The moment the shock of the blow went away, Ranma saw Akane watching him go. He could have sworn he saw her mouth the words, "Good luck," before he was too far to make anything else out. He considered it for a moment, before shaking his head in confusion.

_What was _that_ for?_ he asked himself. Usually Akane had some reason or other to hit him, like Ukyo or Shampoo glomping him and feeding him, but to his current knowledge he hadn't done anything wrong this time. He shrugged, feeling the wind whip at him as his flight began its descent. It had been some time since those blows and the landings actually caused him any harm. It was almost like a form of the Bakusai Tenketsu's training or something.

The ground was coming closer, so Ranma shifted himself mid-flight to see his destination. It was the park again, of course, somewhere near the center. Though none of the few people there appeared near the fountain, Ranma gave a warning shout anyways, "LOOK OUT BELOW!"

And then he hit.

Ranma grunted as his body punched yet another hole in the concrete, yet the wind was barely knocked out of him for all his speed. Bakusai Tenketsu training indeed. He contented himself with lying there for a moment, recovering from the shock of impact, then pulled himself to his feet.

So, Juuban again, was it? Ranma noted as he glanced around at his surroundings. Yet again, as he was coming to expect from a day like this, his landing was outside of the fountain's waters, leaving him in his birth form. His hands went into his pockets, looking to see if he had any loose change again.

His good luck ended there.

"Ranma!" an aged voice hollered, and then Ranma's danger sense went haywire.

He turned just in time to block a blow from a small pipe, wielded by an equally small man. He spun with the block, allowing himself to face the man when he landed. "Happosai..." Ranma drawled, clenching and unclenching his fist, testing his body for any impairments. "Wha'dya want, ya old freak?"

"Fight me, Ranma!" Happosai growled, then leaped in again.

Ranma met him, and the two exchanged viciously quick blows before separating. The coot was skilled, Ranma knew, and his body hurt from the blows more so than from his fall. That was all the time he had before they reengaged, Ranma forcing himself to give as good as he got.

Since they were using the same school of martial arts, neither was immediately able to gain the upper-hand. The hits they managed to score were easily shrugged off. Ranma managed dodged a strike and knock the grandmaster into the dirt; the retaliating strike made the wind leave him in a rush. Still they fought on.

True to the typical Saotome-style, Ranma had been slinging insults from the start. However, nothing he said managed to get a rise out of Happosai. Nothing to start a _Hiryuu Shoten Ha_ with. With mounting determination, Ranma prepared himself for a fight with no quick win.

Another brief separation, then the two masters of aerial combat leaped up to meet each other in the air. Growing frustrated, Ranma started using some of his special attacks. _"KACHU TENSHIN AMAGURIKEN!"_ Hundreds of lightning fast punches impacted Happosai, yet he seemed unfazed as he responded with his pipe, expertly tapping some of Ranma's pressure points.

Ranma cursed as his left arm went numb, but he didn't falter in his returning assault. This particular disabilty would cure itself in a few seconds, so he focused on the defensive for a moment. Happosai was especially viscous, pressing his advantage, but Ranma preserved long enough for his arm to regain feeling.

A renewed exchanged between them was broken only by Ranma retreating a few paces back suddenly, and he held his hands before him. It was time for another technique. _"MOKO TAKABISHA!"_ A golden orb of confidence ki rocketed towards his opponent.

Happosai's determined face didn't falter, and a sudden slash of his pipe dissipated the ki attack. Ranma wasn't the only master of ki control here. As if to reestablish that fact, Happosai allowed his aura to flare into visibility. Brilliant gold surrounded his form, a confidence to match Ranma's own. And then, Happosai began to grow.

One technique he had yet to master, Ranma reflected as he dodged from place to place, was this resizing one his father, Soun, and Happosai all seemed to know. _I might need to work on it, if I find the time._ Falling for a feint, Ranma cursed and was forced blocked a massive punch. A rush of wind left him as the blow still took him off his feet and quite the distance backwards, out of the part and into the streets of Juuban.

_The old freak's got the strength to back the size, yet his speed remains just as fast. Even if it's only temporary, this technique could come in handy._ No time for further admiration, the giant Happosai – nearly twenty stories tall – reached him again.

XxX

For nearly two weeks, Hotaru had begged her parents for a picnic. Finally, _finally_ they had agreed, and today was the perfect day for it, with the sun shining not too hot and large fluffy clouds passing by lazily in the distance.

Hotaru, along with Haruka, Michiru, and even Setsuna herself, walked through the nearby park before choosing a spot near the fountain. Everything had seemed perfect. Until they heard a rather unusual shout.

"LOOK OUT BELOW!"

The small group located the sound, and they saw something in the sky falling fast. They tried guessing what it was. Haruka started, "It's a bird!"

Michiru gently argued, "It's a plane, dear."

It was Hotaru who finally recognized it. "No! It's-" They all winced with the sickening sound of it breaking through the concrete. "...a person." Hotaru finished weakly, horror beginning to seep in. She stood and quickly ran over to the spot of impact, with mad hopes of somehow healing the certainly dead man.

Setsuna had remained silent, her mind analyzing the situation with a sense of detachment. _Something like this should have caught my attention in the Time Gates. Why didn't I see this person?_

Just as Hotaru was about to reach the hole where the person landed, he suddenly stood up under his own power. With a small shrug, the unharmed man began walking away, brushing powder from his clothes. Wide-eyed, Hotaru came to a sudden halt.

Haruka immediately reached for her Henshin Rod, barely tilting her head towards Setsuna while her eyes remained locked on the retreating person. "What... What is he? I mean, he just walked out of a crater made from falling over a hundred feet in the sky!"

Setsuna's introspection was broken at that. _He got up?_ Looking at the boy walking away from them, her eyes narrowed and she also reached for her rod. Just as the Outers were about to transform, they saw the inhuman boy get attacked by a... leprechaun?

Hotaru scurried back to her parents and the group of them watched the fight with interest. Both the little _thing_ and the boy who had fallen were incredible fighters. They did things that looked impossible, even for Senshi. When energy blasts entered the fray, however, they knew those two weren't the everyday martial artists. However, before any of them could label them youma, the auras sprang loose from the fighters.

"They are human," Setsuna announced, then quickly explained the difference between human auras and demonic ones. But _visible_ auras? Even to her, that was a rare feat.

And then the small one transformed into a monster the size of most buildings. Without further hesitation, they transformed into their Senshi forms.

XxX

"You couldn't hit the broadside of a building like that, you old goat!" Ranma shouted. Inwardly, he sighed in frustration as nothing set the pervert off. How long would this technique last anyways? This was the longest Ranma had ever seen it held, and he had yet to discover an immediate counter to it.

Preparing for what would likely be another useless offensive, Ranma's whole world went ringing, stunning him as he went airborne. It felt like _train_ had hit him in the face or something, which could only mean one thing. Ranma grunted as he collided into another building, then shook his head to see for himself.

Ryoga was here, and he didn't look to be on the friendly side despite his grin. Next to his rival, who was popping his knuckles menacingly, were also Kuno, Moose, and even _Taro._ "Hey, what's your game, ya freak?" Ranma shouted, not understanding this sudden change in the fight. Happosai finally, thankfully, shrank back to his normal size. "I thought I was fighting _you."_

No further words were exchanged as with a loud battle cry, the small group of Ranma's most reoccurring enemies charged as one. Ranma sighed and prepared himself. Perhaps this is what all that ominous 'too normal to be true' feeling was leading to?

XxX

The Inners had been informed and teamed up with the Outers, though Setsuna had insisted that they all remain observers for now. Every combatant was undoubtedly human, if not normally so. As the fighting thickened and the brawl drew out, it became obvious this was only a knock-out fight – albeit between powerful opponents. They allowed themselves to relax, if barely.

However, all this display of unheard of strength between so many proved significant, and they agreed to discuss the possibilities of what this could mean in the next meeting. They could, after all, be a threat to Crystal Tokyo.

XxX

Ranma felt near the end of his limits.

Kuno and Moosse both were easily taken care of. His rivals never had been able to work together efficiently, so he managed to take advantage of their disorganized teamwork and hold his own. His main problems were Ryoga, Taro, and Happosai, though after much pummeling even they seemed unsteady on their feet.

Except Happosai, Ranma recognized with a growl. Even after everything he had dealt out, the aged master still looked no closer to his own defeat. Even after his years in Nerima and fighting super powerful opponents, Ranma still wasn't strong enough to prove Happosai's match.

This was the end, however. Mind consciously beating back the black of unconsciousness, Ranma refused to be defeated easily. He didn't lose, after all. Panting, he focused himself the best he could and drew whatever ki he had left.

Taro's cursed form was the first to charge, and Ranma dodged the clumsy blow only to return it with a ki-enhanced punch directly to the face. Ranma felt his reserves trickle away to nothing, but he was satisfied after the sharp 'crack' as Taro was efficiently knocked out. Unconsciousness threatened him once again, and Ranma dodged Ryoga's strikes by muscle memory.

Finally, the haze in his eyes cleared enough to make out certain points on Ryoga's trapezius muscles and neck, and Ranma quickly tapped them. He smirked as Ryoga suddenly crumpled to the ground, unconscious thanks to pressure points. _Thanks, doc..._ Victorious, Ranma finally submitted to the blackness, and he followed Ryoga to the ground.

Happosai grinned at his star pupil. Everything he had hoped for and more. Picking up the unconscious Ranma, he bounded off towards the nearest forest.

XxX

Sailor Pluto frowned at the Time Gates. She couldn't find a single trace of the boy who had appeared at the park. Even checking the past showed them at their picnic, yet just after they all looked up it turned black.

_Black?_ Setsuna mused. Something about that nagged at the back of her mind. Something forgotten, or perhaps taught to her yet never experienced. There was something significant about this type of block.

That blackness followed the boy especially. It blocked everything about him, and distorted the things that were near him if she were to try and view him that way. She could see the park before he arrived and after he left. The street the most of the fight took place in before he entered it and after the small man left with him. She couldn't see where the two here now.

Giving up momentarily, she changed the view to the others involved in that brawl. Each of _their_ pasts could be traced, and showed up clearly to the Gates. She got their names, Moosse, Ryoga, Kuno, Pantyhose Taro, and Happosai. Very... unusual pasts, for all of them. Some very near disturbed her.

However, one thing they all had in common was that they presently lived in the district of Nerima, except for the one named Taro. Nerima...

Sailor Pluto sighed, stepping away from the images the Time Gates provided her to ponder. Nerima was an... interesting place. The entire district was distorted and sometimes blocked to the Gate's sight. She had discovered this anomaly nearly two years ago, when it had first began to cause problems. To be safe, she herself had inspected the area, finding only bizarre martial arts and other things of questionable nature, yet nothing evil or threatening to Crystal Tokyo.

That boy, the one Happosai had called Ranma in the fight, he was a similar anomaly to Nerima. Perhaps there was a connection there. Most likely, he was the cause of the district's disturbances in the first place. But did that mean he was a threat? Setsuna couldn't be sure. She stepped back up to the Gates, determined to find more on this boy.

XxX

Ranma slowly came to. After his senses returned one by one, he noticed that he was in a forest with Happosai. Said grandmaster looked over at him. "So, you're awake now, eh? Have some food." Happosai turned to reveal fresh roasted rabbit spitted over a campfire.

Ranma sat up slowly and readily accepted the food, his appetite not questioning why the old man was being nice. After finishing at his usual speeds, Ranma turned to Happosai for an explanation. "So what's the deal, ya old freak? Why'd ya bring my rivals in the fight?"

Happosai had a grin on his face as he answered, "Well, I have to admit, I'm impressed. I gathered them to fight you as a test. Needless to say, my boy, you passed." The grin that the letch had for once wasn't lecherous. In fact, it seemed pleased. Almost... _proud._

Ranma felt a little weirded out, but he remained cautious. "Test for what?"

The grin widened. "A test to see if you were ready to become a master of Anything Goes Martial Arts!" Ranma looked shocked. After a few moments of fish imitations, he got up and began to dance around singing about how great he was. "However!" continued Happosai, stopping Ranma suddenly, "there is still one final thing you must do before you achieve that rank."

Ranma put on a brave face. "Whatever it is, I can do it!" His dream was in sight! There was no way he'd fail now.

"That's the spirit," Happosai acknowledged, nodding his head. "Now, all you must do is..." Ranma tensed in anticipation, watching as Happosai reached into his gi. "Join my panty raid!" He whipped out a mask and a bag.

Ranma face-faulted. He got up and pointed at the perv. "No way! Uh-uh! I ain't gonna do nothin' like that!"

Happosai looked crushed. "Come on, Ranma! Your father did it! It's how he met your mom!"

Slightly sickened, Ranma could easily picture that in his mind:

_Genma sneaked around the house using the Umisenken. "Today's the day I become a master and leave that demon beind me!" Finding a drawer, he checked inside and found what he was looking for. He dropped the technique and began collecting them._

_He stopped cold when he felt a sword blade on his neck. He then heard a female voice being him, "What are you doing, _sir?"_ Her voice held ice. Nodoka then saw what he was collecting and yelled, "How manly!" GLOMP!_

Disgusted now, Ranma still insisted that he wasn't going to do it. Happosai began to get mad. "Ranma! As Grandmaster I order you to join me on a panty raid!" He threw one of the many bras on his person at Ranma and said, "Feel how soft they are... How can you _not_ want to come?"

"Like this!" Ranma used a Moko Takabisha to incinerate the stolen article.

Happosai's aura flared out, this time an angry red. "Rrrrrannnmaaaa! This is your final chance! Join me or suffer the consequences."

"If you put it that way... No!" Ranma let his own aura flare.

"It appears you've left me with no choice," Happosai growled, hands reaching inside his gi again. He pulled out two scrolls. One read "Pupil Punishment" and the other "Ancient Land of Pretty Ladies." He opened the pupil one and began to hill it with his ki. Ranma tensed, getting ready to react to whatever that scroll did.

Without warning, Happosai threw the scroll _at_ Ranma. He tried to dodge, but a sudden light reached out and swallowed him whole. Afterwords, no trace of Ranma remained.

Just then, Taro in his human form burst through the treeline, panting and red faced. He shouted, "Hey, are you going to change my name now, old man?"

Anger dying down, Happosai sighed and said, "Yeah, yeah. From now on, Pantyhose Taro shall forever be named Taro. Okay, now leave." He glanced at the now blank scroll that had caused Ranma's disappearance, then studied the other. A small blush rose on his cheeks, and he giggled slightly.

Feeling extremely relieved – this time it was official! - Taro began to leave before he stopped. He turned his head with a curious look in his eye. "Wait a second, what _were_ you doing before I got here?"

"Let's just say you don't have to worry about Ranma for awhile," Happosai muttered gleefully, as more and more thoughts of what was about to happen invaded his mind.

For a reason Happosai couldn't understand, Taro got... angry. "You _what?"_

Annoyed, he looked up from his pretty ladies scroll and at Taro. "I sent him into the realm of demons: Hell, as some people call it."

Taro fished out a flask of water. "You've gone too far, freak. Time to die." He poured the flask over his head, turning himself into an ox/person/crane/octopus.

However, before the hybrid could reach him, Happosai managed to poured ki into the now open "Ancient Land of Pretty Ladies" scroll and jump in. Taro let out an angry snort as Happosai got away in another burst of light, leaving behind a second blank scroll.

Silence had only just settled back into the forest when a new burst of light appeared. Two people fell back out. Taro's animallistic eyes widened in shock when he saw who they were. Instead of Ranma and Happosai, it was Ranma... and his _female_ form.

_Flashback, 20 years ago..._

_A drunken Happosai was sleeping. His two students, Soun and Genma, were trying to go through his stuff to make their torment a little less horrible. Finding a pair of scrolls, they looked at them. "Ancient Land of Pretty Ladies" and "Pupil Punishment." After nodding to each other, they switched the names of the scrolls and put them back._

XxX

Setsuna had found little in her search for information on this Ranma. The Ryoga involved in the earlier brawl had sworn revenge on him after a blackened year in middle school, for whatever reason. The Amazonian male apparently had lost his woman to him... That was about all she could find. Everything was too deep into Nerima for her to accurately discern.

Suddenly, there was a ripple across the Time Gates, one she could feel from within as well. A warning! Setsuna reached for her powers, desperate to counter whatever it was that was coming, but she was too late.

A horde of foreign memories invaded her mind, beyond her control to stop. However, one didn't reach her age and existence without learning a few tricks. As she had been taught, Setsuna isolated these new memories, regarding them as fake and would later be eliminated as soon as she fixed the interference to the past.

However, she was watching these memories even as she isolated them, and slowly her resolve began to wane. As the last few entered her mind, Setsuna's hold over the memories collapse, and she readily welcomed them as real. Against her will, Time had been altered, but for the better.

Setsuna _grinned_ in excitement.

XxX

At Usagi's home, a whole different set of memories lodged into the head of the princess. Her dream:

_Everywhere was white. Usagi looked around, not afraid of this blankness. The ground was like a mist, yet was solid enough to walk on. She heard muffled footsteps approaching and looked up to see who it was. Usagi gasped at who she saw. A beautiful woman with flowing, silver hair similar to her own was in front of her. The woman carried an air of authority, a regal presence that had once belonged to nobility._

_This beautiful woman, Princess Serenity's mother, smiled at her, a reassuring smile that seemed to be holding something unnerving behind it. The former Queen explained her presence a touch sadly, "My child, forgive me but I'm afraid we must join our memories as one. Against my will I have been thrust into this future, in a way that we both cannot exist separately."_

_Without knowing it, Usagi nodded her acknowledgment and consent to Queen Serenity. The woman gave a last warm smile before closing her eyes and loads of foreign memories flowed into Usagi's head. Nearly an hour passed before the torrent slowed, and the two minds had become one._

'Usagi' woke up, crystalline eyes peering sadly at the ceiling above her. She muttered to herself, "I'm sorry, daughter. It appears my years so vastly outnumber yours that I became the dominate one." A closer look in the dark showed that 'Usagi's dark golden hair had lightened to a shimmering silver, now pale in the moonlight.

To keep her sudden appearance a secret, at least until things could be explained, the woman called forth magic in a spell to disguise her hair, turning it gold again.

XxX

For the seven other Senshi, new memories overrode and added to the already tremendous locked ones of the Silver Millennium. Things had changed, as the world was soon to find out.

* * *

(2-14-09) Alright, I just half-kinda rewrote this. I extended and explained some scenes, left others alone. I hope this is better for some people. Oh, and I fixed the thing about Nerima, Juuban, and the subway. Those are accurate facts in there about price and time.

(8-24-10) I finally did rewrite this. Same events, though things are now much clearer than they were before. If you disagree with clarity, that's only because you never saw what it was like _before_ the revision. xD

Sub-Zero879: Alright Churro, time to edit this!

Churro: ANOTHER STORY?

Sub-Zero876: Umm, ya. Don't worry, this chapter is extremely short compared to my other ones...

A POLL: The past Senshi are stronger than the future ones. Ranma is brought on to a different planet with a higher gravity pull, he will be naturally stronger than before. This poll is about Ranma's strength:

1. Ranma can beat all of the past Senshi no problem due to his training being his life. Also, the planet he is sent to has a strong gravity pull so he will already be strong. He can do this untransformed. (1) (I vote this one!)

2. Ranma can beat the greater half of the past Senshi (and all of the future ones), with the exception of Pluto and Saturn. He can do this untransformed. (0)

3. Same as number one except that he has to be transformed to do it. (0)

4. Same as number two except he has to be transformed to do it. (0)

* * *

_KACHU TENSHIN AMAGURIKEN_

_HIRYUU SHOTEN HA_

_BAKUSAI TENKETSU_

_MOKO TAKABISHA_


	2. Waking up

Reviews:

**Upgrade:** Thank you for that complete list.

**WarGiver:** Thanks for the constructive criticism and not a flame. It's been almost a year since you wrote that and I just reread your review. As painful it is for my pride to say, I agree that I definitely need a rewrite and pretty much do everything your review said. I'm editing the story right now, but I'm planning on doing a full rewrite after I finish the entire story. (Wow, I just checked something and in my edit I had changed the Psycho Chick Airlines to your recommendation without actually using your review.) Tyvm for your review. In retrospect, I wish I had listened more carefully back when you first left it. My old reply that I'm replacing disgusts me now.

**Disclaimer:** (thought I forgot didn't you?) don't own Ranma or Sailor Moon. Only own my house (box), computer (wires hooked to 80's TV), and Churro at Halo 2.

Churro: I'll get you one day... one day.

**Rewrite (6-25-09):** I started to rewrite this, but it was taking ridiculously long, so I got lazy and stopped around halfway. It should be noticeable where the rewrite ends, but I signaled the area with (4) anyways. Also, in the parts I _did_ rewrite, I made sure to keep my old jokes, even the ones I didn't see as funny anymore. Just thought I should warn you.

* * *

Nemesis ½: Banishment - Waking Up

* * *

Darkness was the first thing Ranma noticed. Immediately after that, he felt that he couldn't move. The walls around him were clenching rhythmically and tightly. It felt like he was suffocating. He struggled weakly against the walls but found that he could do little. While still fighting for some mobility, he could hear sounds coming from outside. They were voices, although greatly muffled and distorted. Occasionally, there was a high pitched hum that reverberated through the walls around him.

Eventually, Ranma was too weak to continue resisting. _Just what the hell did the freak do to me?_ he thought to himself angrily. For some reason, although he couldn't breath, he didn't feel the rising panic of having no air. _Am I dreaming or somethin'?_ Now that he had stopped struggling, he could feel that the walls were forcing him somewhere, although very slowly.

After an hour of the strange feeling and enigmatic sounds, he felt the top of his head break out of its confinement. Before he could even turn to look, two large and powerful hands, almost as big as his body, firmly grasped him and helped him the rest of the way out.

Ranma was having difficulty opening his eyes, and felt a strange grimy substance covering his body. The hands holding him shifted him until he was on his stomach. Suddenly, one of the large hands spanked him, surprising the confused martial artist. Deciding to voice his opinion, he yelled, "What the _hell_ was that for?" His voice came with a higher pitch and a whiney quality, to the point where he almost didn't recognize it.

Ranma felt the hands holding him suddenly let go in shock. He hit the ground with startling force, the strange substance covering him producing a large splat. He was finally able to open his eyes. Groaning, he weakly turning his body to look up and saw… "AH! Giant people!"

Four extremely tall people surrounded him in what looked like an equally large hospital room. Instead of the white walls he was accustomed to, they were a strange shade of oceanic blue. The first person of the four was a beautiful woman lying on a massive hospital bed, legs propped and covered by a white sheet. Her hair was blue, lighter than Akane's, and her face was etched in concern and confusion.

Two of the others were what appeared to be the doctors. They both wore lab coats, dirtied gloves, and white masks. With identical medium-length black hair and similar body structure, they appeared to be twins. The only noticeable difference was that the one on the left, the one who had dropped Ranma, had a distinguished scar running down his right eye. Both were also in a state of shock.

The last giant was actually standing outside the room, looking in through a large window. Both his eyes and shoulder-length hair were black. Heavily muscled, he wore an almost futuristic military uniform. He was also stunned, but he was staring at the scarred doctor, not Ranma.

The other doctor spoke first, "Y-You can… You can speak?" (1)

The pieces finally slid into place for Ranma. Hospital, spanking, giant people, strange substance covering him, long 'tunnel'… Yep, he was definitely a baby. The shock last for only a second. Stranger things had happened, after all, and it could have been much worse.

Still planted into the ground, Ranma moved his chubby arm to scratch the base of his almost bald head. Speaking was a bit more forced, but he managed, "Um… Hi, I'm Saotome, Ranma. Sorry 'bout this."

The man outside chose that moment to enter, slamming the door open in his worry. "Is there anything wrong with my son?" He turned parental glare at one of the doctors. "Why did you do you drop him?"

The woman on the bed, her face still scrunched with confusion, turned to the man. "It's… not his fault."

The man gave her a sharp look. "Shut the hell up, this doesn't concern you." The woman winced. He looked back to Ranma, concern replacing his glare. "Why the hell are you just leaving him there?"

The doctor with the scar finally recovered enough to move accordingly. He quickly yet gently swept Ranma back into his arms while saying to the man, "I-I think something happened."

Instead of asking the doctor for clarification, the man turned back to the woman angrily. "What the hell did you do to my child, bitch? It was bad enough you were barren for so many years, and now when you finally get it right you still screwed up." The woman remained silent.

Ranma felt a flash of anger at that. If anything, it was his own fault, not that woman's. "Hey don't take that from him. It ain't your fault," he tried to argue in his altered voice.

The man turned to Ranma in shock. The baby could speak? He gaped for a moment before narrowing his eyes. Magic had done similar things before, after all. "Oh, and who are you to speak?" The doctor holding Ranma had paused to witness the conversation.

Ranma tried puffing up his small and still grimy chest. "Ranma Saotome of the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts."

"Don't make me laugh. What does a weakling like you have on an officer in the elite army of Nemesis?" he challenged, crossing his, to Ranma's eyes, massive arms.

Ranma tried to give a cocky snort, but a snot bubble came out instead. "At least I don't look like a gorilla with the fashion statement of a little girl."

Now glaring at the arrogant asshole who had replaced his son, the man moved as if to strike Ranma. Before he could get too close, the woman on the bed cried out, "Stop it! For Serenity's sake, he's just a child!"

The man stopped cold at that. "Serenity's sake?" he growled dangerously, turning to face the woman. Without warning, he slapped her across the face.

Ranma was stunned at that. The woman was exhausted, in no place to defend herself, and held no sign of being a fighter. He felt the doctor holding him tense up, but he didn't have any other reaction. Before Ranma could come up with a response or another insult, the man gave Ranma one last glare and left the room. A tense silence filled the room after the door slammed shut.

Finally the scarred doctor resumed his duties, bringing Ranma to a sink and washing him off with warm water. The other twin removed his mask and left the room in a daze, going out to fill in the paper work. The woman remained silent, her struck cheek reddening.

After a moment of silent working, the doctor washing Ranma finally spoke, "So uh… Ranma, was it? My name is Uzuki, Reyth."

Ranma pushed his own thoughts on the man back and attempted to say the name. "Reisu. Reiru." (2) The doctor grew a faint, distracted smile under his mask. "That's going to take some getting used to." After finishing up cleaning Ranma, the doctor bundled him and handed him to his 'mother.'

The woman cradled Ranma's small form and gently rocked him back and forth. Ranma, lost in thought about this new situation, suddenly found himself getting sleepy by the rocking. Before he could actually fall asleep, however, he heard the woman whisper, "Uzuki, Ranma. What a fine name that is. I'm your new mother, Hoshiko." He was relieved to hear a name he could pronounce.

Slightly more awake now that she had spoken, he looked up at her and asked, "Are you related to Reisu?"

Hoshiko laughed softly at his mispronunciation. "Yes, he is my older brother and _your_ new uncle." Out of everyone, she seemed the least affected by the situation.

Ranma saw the red mark still marring her beautiful face, and his earlier anger came back in a rush. "Why did that man treat you so bad, Hoshiko?"

The woman's head bowed in shame, confusing Ranma. "It's not my place to answer that. Ask your uncle."

Ranma didn't want any misunderstandings. "He's not my-"

"You will refer to her as Okaa-san (mother), not Hoshiko," interjected Reyth in a stern voice. He had taken his mask off and was still drying off his hands. "We _are_ family now, whether you originated from somewhere else or not." He gave Ranma a pointed, if bewildered, look. "I just delivered you, for goodness' sake."

"…Yes, Oji-san (uncle)." Ranma mumbled, chastised.

The doctor then leaned over Hoshiko and began a thorough medical examination of her. Ranma was quiet during that time, again trying to think of a way to fix Happosai's newest mess. Several minutes later, Reyth was finished. He gently helped her sit up and brought a typical looking wheelchair over.

"Alright, Sis. Let's get you and …Ranma back home," Reyth said as he helped Hoshiko, who was still holding Ranma, into the chair.

Ranma looked around with wide eyes as they wheeled away. For a reason he couldn't quite describe, his curiosity of the world around him completely overwhelmed his introspective search for a solution. He saw equipment and machines that most hospitals that he had been in never had before. He also saw that the floor was a polished and striated stone, its color a deep blue that matched the walls.

After turning down a few long, to Ranma at least, halls, they passed by Ranma's 'father' and the second doctor - Reyth's twin. The two were signing documents. The man paused only to send a bitter look at the occupants of the wheelchair before continuing.

Once out of earshot, Ranma again asked in his high pitched baby voice, "So why did he treat you so bad, Hosh… Okaa-san?"

Reyth spoke for her. "I'm guessing that before _this_ happened you weren't from Nemesis. According to our society, my brother-in-law is not in the wrong." He sighed as he opened the door leading out of the hospital. "No matter how much I disagree with his behavior. You see, after we broke off from-"

"Ack, green sky!" If it weren't for the fact that getting dropped had hurt so much, Ranma would wonder once again if he was dreaming. As soon as Reyth rolled him out of the hospital doors, he say a light green sky bearing down on him with the sun noticeably smaller than usual. Just where had Happosai sent him with that scroll?

Hoshiko gently chided Ranma, "Don't interrupt others when they are speaking, Ranma-chan."

Ranma, although still baffled, had the decency to feel ashamed. Something about her reminded him of Kasumi. _Kasumi…_ Ranma suddenly became saddened, and strangely even had an overwhelming urge to cry. The advancement in technology that he had noticed thus far gave away the fact that he wasn't in Japan anymore, and now the sky indicated that he wasn't even on Earth. Even the cars lined up in the 'parking lot' could have been spaceships with how different they looked.

Burying his shock at being torn away from family and friends for the time being, he asked, "I'm sorry, but can you tell me where we are exactly? You said somethin' about Nemesis?"

Understanding, Reyth answered, "You are at Hospital 23 of the Imperial Sector. Nemesis is the planet you are currently on." The scarred doctor now appeared casual, but on the inside he was still in a daze. After years of trying, his sister had finally gotten pregnant. However, when the baby actually came, it turned out that some person had possessed - Been reborn? Transferred conscious? - the newborn. He knew magic could do many things, much of which he had witnessed himself, but a situation like this, happening to _his_ family, was not something he ever expected.

The revelation shook Ranma to his core. _I expected another dimension or a dream-world or somethin', but a whole different planet? What the hell did the freak do?_ He was brought out of his musings only when he noticed that they had stopped.

He looked up again and saw a car before them, presumably the Uzuki family's. However, it was a car that he could never have dreamed of before - much too advanced and spacey. It was a plain blue, but its designs made it so much more. Flatter than regular cars to maximally reduce wind-resistance, with an engine fit for a jet, it looked built for _speed_. On the back was a large sapphire in the shape of a circle, its main power source. The roof of the car was an integrated solar panel used to charge said gem, like all cars had for the past 400 years on Nemesis. Power lines, radiating iridescent blue light, spider-webbed out of the sapphire to the rest of the car. If Ranma had been at a better angle or looked harder, he would notice a distinct absence of tires.

"Nice car," he muttered squeakily in slight awe. His main focus, however, was still to whatever had happened to him.

The other two smiled at that, both filing away the clue that the newest, if strange, addition to their family had yet to see a typical sub-nebulaeic aerial transport, also conveniently known as a car. Despite their family's wealth, the Uzuki's had kept their car a simple model. If Ranma had thought that was nice, he obviously hadn't seen much, no matter where he was from originally.

Ranma sat with Hoshiko in the back, Reyth - still in his altered doctor's coat and equally altered white scrubs - taking the wheel. Once they were settled in, Ranma said, "I suppose I should tell you guys a little bit about myself, huh?"

Reyth turned to look back at Ranma as he started the vehicle. He gave the teen-turned-baby a look that held something Ranma couldn't recognize. "Tell us what you want. There is no rush. Just remember, we are family now, and family is always there for each other." Ranma got a flash of his real family.

Genma, his real father, would sell him like a toy. He put him through endless tortures and other things just to satisfy the panda's stomach. He also put Ranma through unspeakable things like the Neko-ken. The only time Genma was there for him was when the panda would gain something from it.

Nodoka, his real mom, was willing to end his life if he didn't prove to be manly enough. Even though she accepted the curse, she still held the contract over his head like a haunting. He got the feeling that if he came to her for help and it didn't involve getting laid, she would deem him unmanly and think about killing her own son.

Realizing that he would be receiving love from people who don't even know him brought something out of Ranma he has been unwilling to show since he was seven years old. Tears. They came slowly at first, as he realized what Reyth meant, but as further understanding came, he let the whole dam break loose. It was then that Ranma noticed the look that Reyth held. It was pity.

Hoshiko held the baby to her chest, gently rocking him back and forth while whispering soothing words. He didn't wail like most babies; he just softly sobbed over the pains of the past. Reyth silently 'drove' them home. So lost in his grievances was Ranma that he didn't even notice that they were literally flying the whole way.

He also wasn't aware of the fact that he was under the affects of a brain chemically altered to that of a baby's while still holding the mind of an eighteen year old. That led to minor personality shifts, such as uncontrollable bawling. That attributed to the fact that he was still crying when they reached the house.

When he noticed that Reyth had turned the car off and that they were going to be leaving the car, he desperately replaced his mental barriers. His sobs slowly ceased, and he unconsciously held onto his new mother for comfort. He felt exhausted enough from crying and comfortable enough in that position to fall asleep, but he fought the urge once again.

Hoshiko was surprisingly able leave the car and walk on her own, although there were obvious traces of pain in each step she took. Reyth was by her side the whole time, wary of her collapsing with the baby in her arms.

Ranma, still latched onto Hoshiko's shoulder, turned his head to view what would be his new (and hopefully temporary once he countered Happosai's technique) home. The house was… _huge._ An amazing four stories tall, it also managed to take up most of the acre it was placed on. The car being parked at the side, Ranma was able to see the backyard, if it could be called that. A decidedly different looking forest stretched back for miles. More than a few training logs and other tools for exercise were set up in various locations. Rows of weapon racks were present, all gleaming flawlessly despite their exposed location. There were no firearms, only melee weapons. Every kind imaginable rested on those racks.

There was no dividing fence that separated them from their neighbors. Only a small, white line on the ground that showed the boundaries for this house and the one next door. Despite its apparent innocence, Ranma knew enough from his own experiences not to risk crossing the harmless white lines on either side of the house. He did, however, note with satisfaction how the neighbors' lines excluded them from the forest while the Uzuki's extended back to encompass the entire thing.

The three entered the house.

Ranma noticed that it looked even bigger from the inside, if that was even possible. A grand entranceway greeted him, with a single spiraling staircase to the right and twisting hallways everywhere else. Ranma didn't need to be an expert to know that everything looked expensive, from the elaborate floor to the engraved walls, not to mention it was more advanced than a typical 'fancy home.' There were hints of technological superiority in every room, from the glowing blue stripe that ran along every wall near the ceiling to sleek gizmos embedded in walls and lying around.

The duo took the time to show him around. It was strange for the two adults to show a baby of all things around their house like he was another guest, but they accepted it with the same numb that had taken them in the hospital. Ranma thought it all was nice, but he paid particular attention to the dojo in the center of the mansion.

As they were finishing up, Ranma noticed that he was still being carried. "Hey, Okaa-san. You don't hafta carry me and stuff. I can walk just fine."

Hoshiko looked doubtful, but it was Reyth who spoke first. "You know, despite how strange this is, no offense intended, this could be quite an educational experience. We have thousands of books written about the psychology of babies and how they develop, but there are many things that are still unexplained due to so many confounding variables and uncontrollable factors." Ranma stared at him blankly, so he got to his point. "I'm curious if a baby already knowing how to balance and walk will affect its beginning steps and stability or if the undeveloped muscles are arbitrary in the matter."

"Um, right. So can I be let down now?" He squired a bit in his mother's arms for emphasis of his restlessness.

After some prompting from her brother, Hoshiko finally agreed to allow him to try. As soon as Ranma's feet hit the ground, however, gravity completely overwhelmed him, and he immediately fell face-first into the ground with much more force than usual, something that he had noticed when Reyth… dropped him in the hospital.

Hoshiko gasped and asked, "Are you alright?"

Ranma groaned, face still planted in the ground, which was a strange sound coming from a baby. He answered none-the-less, "Yeah, I think. What's up with this place? I can't push myself up!" He tried, in vain, to push himself into a sitting position, but the gravity of the planet was too great (3). _That's it, I'm now declaring war on gravity!_

Reyth chuckled a bit at Ranma antics. "In case you have forgotten, young one, you were just _born_ today," he reminded the struggling baby. "Well, it was worth a shot. I'm guessing you are originally from an Earth Standard Gravity planet, but even our children struggle with our increased gravity for their first few years in life."

The doctor paused as he remembered an earlier conversation. "Now, if you don't interrupt me this time, I will tell you about the history of today's world."

Hoshiko tenderly helped Ranma into a sitting position and set him in her lap. She gave him a radiant smile. "That means it's story time, Ranma-chan."

Reyth shrugged out of his special doctor's coat and hung it on a nearby chair. They were in an almost empty room that was _supposed_ to be a playroom for the baby later on, although certain circumstances made that plan unsure. The doctor also removed the upper portion of his modified scrubs, revealing a black sleeveless shirt underneath. Ranma noticed he was moderately muscled, despite his profession.

The scarred doctor sat down before the duo with his legs crossed. "Once upon a time, in a past only 700 years ago, there was a war…"

_Hundreds of thousands of ships tore through the stormy atmosphere. More than a few were lost in the harsh weather that reflected the happenings of the planet, burning fiery trails down to the primitive surface. The initial ships belong to Jupiter and Saturn respectively. As soon as the vessels landed, hundreds of troops burst free, attacking the nearest enemy._

_The armies of Jupiter and Saturn, the population giants of the war, slammed into each other with disorganized fury. Their movements were sluggish and burdened by the triple gravity, but their actions were just as deadly. In no time, countless bodies littered the battlefield._

_After three days of this restless, senseless slaughter, Pluto's army made their appearance with no small number of ships tearing through the enraged clouds like hornets. They added to the confusion._

_The battle was located on the primal planet Nemesis. It held a grueling three times Earth Standard Gravity, but it's almost barren state made it a prime location for the 'final battle' of the galactic campaigns. Nemesis had its own people, but their were so primitive and scarce that none of the planets gave them any notice._

_One by one, each of the other eleven planets of the Sol System (there were twelve including Nemesis), landed their armies on the chaotic planet. The militarily strongest of them, Gastral and Mercury, were avoided by all of the others. Reasons for this were that the Gastralians were near unstoppable on the battlefield, while Mercury's superior technology gave them the same effect._

_The Gastralians trained everyday since they were four on a planet that had its gravity altered to twice as much as the others. The soldiers of that army could not be matched by strength. A single man from there could take down at least five soldiers of any other army by himself. If that man had just one helper to lend him a hand, they could take down thirty before one fell. They were trained to not only use a shield for themselves but also for a comrade. Just that army could take down all the rest except for Mercury's in an organized battle. However, the disorganized nature of bringing in so many ships at such a distance reduced their mighty effect only slightly. The gravity did little to their already strengthened forms._

_Mercury was a different matter. Although limited to only melee weapons, their technology still made a frightening appearance. Performance enhancing gear, also included to fight off the effects of the triple gravity, were the least of the other planets' worries. Splash weapons were invented, such as the Discharge Blade which sent a bolt of lightning through the person the blade made contact with and multiple other enemies. They also invented energy shields that completely surrounded each soldier. While the shield was weak and could be destroyed in one to two hits, that meant one to two hits extra to kill their opponent. Their strategically superior battle plan kept their relevantly small army as organized as Gastral, but they also suffered from the chaos of the battle._

_On the twelfth day since the first battle between Jupiter and Saturn, there was all-out war. The conflict would later be known as The Planets' Collision. Billions of lives were lost. So many people were invested and lost in the armies that the population of humans in the entire solar system decreased by sixty-seven percent, which included a pair of explosives that Mercury sent to destroy the planet Gastral and the lesser planet Zuluzu._

_The all-out war lasted twenty consecutive days, spread over most of the surface of Nemesis. When it ended on the thirty-second day of the entire war, someone came up with a proposal. A convincing and passionate noble from Earth, whose name was Dianna Serenity, demanded the immediate end of the petty struggle for power and domination and that they should instead _unite _to form an ultimate power. Devastated from the war, almost all agreed. The alliance was set between Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto._

_The last of the Zuluzian people, only ragged soldiers due to their civilians being wiped out with the planet, swore an oath to exterminate the Mercurians down to the last man, woman, and child in retribution. To avert further conflict, the newly formed United Kingdoms of the Solar System banished them to the nearest system. As for Gastral, who also had their entire civilian population wiped out by Mercury, half agreed with Zuluzu and were banished as well. The other half, although greatly bitter and resentful, understood what war entitled and decided to simply settle on Nemesis._

_The Mercurians, with the rage of war dying down, felt horrified by their actions. Millions settled down on Nemesis as well, assisting the survivors with rebuilding their race, hoping to provide some consolation for their unforgivable act._

_With the strength of the Gastralian people and the technology of Mercury, the new people of Nemesis were almost unstoppable in a battle, if it ever came to that. However, they decided to join the alliance with the other planets._

_The United Kingdoms of the Solar System set up their base of operations on Earth's moon, as it was a Terran noble who had proposed the idea. In fact, so pleased were they that they entitled the benign Dianna Serenity as queen and renamed their alliance to the Moon Kingdom. Thus began the rule of Queen Serenity I._

_For 150 years the worlds prospered. The joys of Mercurian technology allowed people to live past the normal age limit - indefinitely if one so wished. Upon remembering the threat of the Zuluzians and that they had Gastralians to help train them, Queen Serenity I decided to make a core of elite warriors. They were called the Senshi and were chosen one from each planet, save Earth as the Queen was in control of its moon. She had figured out how to draw the energy of the planets and force it into the Senshi, giving them exceptional power and eternal life._

_Dianna had had a daughter during those years, and after ruling for those 150 years, she had taught her daughter everything she needed to know. Then, Queen Dianna Serenity had let herself die, leaving the Moon Kingdom in the hands of her daughter, Queen Serenity II. However, Hera was a corrupt Queen._

_Feeling that women had been oppressed by men through the ages, she used her influence and power to force men into the background. Confused and unsure how to take this new behavior, especially since the people were still in mourning over the loss of their beloved Queen, the planets responded admirably. Hera replaced each male Senshi with a women to prevent problems in the transition._

_Unfortunately, or fortunately, the male Senshi of Nemesis refused to back down. Enraged, Hera called it treason and ordered his death. The other Senshi were called in to carry out the sentence. The male Senshi barely escaped with his life. Upon returning to Nemesis, still wounded from the attack, he inform the people of Queen Serenity II's plot of oppressing men. Tension within the Moon Kingdom escalated. After surveying the damage done to their Senshi, Nemesis backed out of the Moon Kingdom and became a rogue planet. In fear of the oppression that was slowly overtaking the other planets also affecting them, the men of Nemesis reduced their women to almost slaves. Their actions were met with little and futile resistance, so turbulent was that period of time._

_Although Nemesis rested just between Mars and Jupiter, only one planet away from the capital of the Moon Kingdom, Hera never attacked them in fear of their military power. Nemesis also never attacked them, The Planets' Collision war still fresh in their minds and wishing to just be isolated._

_This corrupt Moon Kingdom lasted for 200 years, ending only after Hera was assassinated. Her daughter, Tessa, became Queen Serenity III. Tessa had tried valiantly to revert the Moon Kingdom back to its former glory. She tried helping men escape this prejudiced world and getting Nemesis to rejoin their ranks, but she failed in both plans. She noticed with despair the Moon Kingdom was slipping further and further into darkness, the worst of which appearing on Neptune and Uranus. Her mood dipped with her kingdom, leading to her suicide after ruling for 150 years._

_Tessa's daughter, Crystal, inherited the mess of a kingdom. Through several quick and cunning programs and plans, the kingdom was again on the incline. She brought the kingdom out of the darkness, and once it regained its stability she took up her mother's quest to both bring equality to men and bring Nemesis back into the Moon Kingdom._

"…Queen Serenity IV is a benign ruler who still rules today. She treats her subjects the same way Dianna had, with respect and equality, and is still, to this day, trying her hardest to get us to rejoin the Moon Kingdom," Reyth finished.

Ranma's sapphire blue eyes were wide, imitating his age quite well. The story was unbelievable, but Reyth had no reason to lie and his surroundings provided evidence of its integrity. Doing a quick check in his mind, he asked, "Oji-san, does that mean Crystal is 200 years old right now?"

Reyth, still garbed in a black, sleeveless shirt and white pants from work, smiled. "Well, she has been ruling for 200 years. She is actually 300 years old."

Ranma imagined the old ghoul ruling the kingdom and frowned. Then, he imagined her ruling it _benignly_ and started cracking up, letting out babyish giggles. _Oh man, why am I _giggling _like I really am a baby? It wasn't that funny. Man am I thirty._ "What's there to drink?"

Reyth wordlessly stood, collected his coat and shirt, and left the room. Ranma watched him go, confused. He then noticed that Hoshiko was beginning to undo her top. "Ack!" Ranma let out a worried baby sound and averted his eyes, blushing.

Hoshiko stopped, looking at him with confusion. "What's wrong? I thought you were thirsty."

"It's not that! Look, I'm eighteen years old, and it would be… wrong," Ranma stuttered out.

Understanding, she said, "Ranma-chan, it's okay. I'm your mother and you need to drink."

"Can't I just have water?"

"If you want to die," his mother answered coolly.

"Wha-what?" Ranma asked, confused.

"You are on a whole new planet full of bacterium and viruses. You may be eighteen mentally, but you were just born today. You have no immune system yet. If you drink my milk you will temporarily gain mine."

Ranma didn't know much about that kind of stuff, but he understood its implications. He couldn't help but feel that Akane was going to pound him into a bloody pulp for this. With a sigh, he turned around with his eyes closed and mouth open. His heart accelerated when he heard the rustling of cloth and soothing humming. The lullaby relaxed him to the point where he didn't flinch when he felt a nub enter his toothless mouth.

Ranma let his primal instincts take over for this. He started slow, unsure, but after the first few swallows he began to suckle with the usual Saotome gusto. And thus, the eighteen year old was breastfed.

XXXX

Two hours later, Ranma's new father arrived along with Reyth's scar-less twin.

The husband of Hoshiko huffed when he saw Ranma glaring at him. The boy had spirit, he would give him that. A great fighting spirit. He remembered that the boy who had replaced his son… was his son mentioned that he was a martial artist. Hand-to-hand was key in training soldiers, and he always wanted his son to replace him as a Commanding Officer, maybe even rise to General. Maybe he could turn this _curse_ into a blessing.

The officer decided introductions were in order. "So… _Ranma._ My name is Fugao. Do you want to get strong? Strong enough to make even our Gastralian ancestors proud?"

Ranma, dressed in a diaper and still in Hoshiko's arms, blinked in surprise, having expected another snide or snobbish comment from the man. Words from his first father flashed through his mind: _"Everything can be used as training."_ He might as well learn what he could before he figured out how to return home. With determination burning in his expression, which was strange coming from a baby, he answered, "Yes."

The two warriors, each masters of their own fields, locked eyes. There was a challenge written on both of their faces. The intensity of their stares filled the silence. It was a dramatic moment, one that had the potential to change Ranma's life forev-

"Ain't that the _weirdest_ thing you've ever seen, bro?" Reyth's twin asked while pointing at Ranma, nudging his brother for emphasis. "A talking baby." Everyone, including Hoshiko, stared at him. He blinked, not understanding what he had interrupted.

XXXX

Ranma went to bed that night without a fight. Hoshiko had placed him in a cradle with a bottle, claiming that he would most likely wake up that night hungry multiple times. Before she left the room, she gave Ranma a smile. "If you need anything, don't hesitate to cry out." She paused. "You know, I'll admit that it is strange having _you_ instead of a real baby, but in a way I'm glad."

At Ranma's confused look, she giggled. "Well, for one, you already know how to speak and eat clean, and I might even get full nights of sleep. Of course, never hesitate to cry if you need something."

"Don't worry, I'll try and stay quiet," Ranma repeated. He knew what it was like to have interrupted sleep. Hoshiko smiled one more time before flipping off the lights. Before she left, Ranma called out, "Look, I am sorry about this. If it means anything, I wasn't the one who did this."

Hoshiko, her form a still silhouette in the doorframe, was quite for a moment. Then, she answered him softly, "You don't have to explain anything. No matter what, you are my son - no matter how strange that is for the both of us. You can tell us what happened on your own time. I'm sure it will be quite interesting to hear."

Ranma huffed in amusement, but his small chest made it too quiet for the same effect. "Yeah, interesting…"

The darkness made it too difficult to see her smile. "Good night, Ranma-chan." Ranma's new mother slowly closed the door, leaving the baby-fied martial artists alone in the dark for a long night of a foreign body in a foreign world.

XXXX

As the years passed, Ranma was quick to find that there wasn't any foreseeable way to return home. After a rough start, he managed to fall into a routine with his new family that picked up once he learned how to walk.

With his mother, particularly around Ranma's younger years, Hoshiko performed her 'motherly duty by teaching him their culture. Ranma was slow to adapt, holding onto his own loose Japanese traditions with the hope of returning home, but in time he was forced to accept the changes, save taking up the 'men are superior' attitude most males had.

His uncle Reyth was a neurologist and a psychologist and would often spend time teaching Ranma the workings of the mind in his spare time. The same could be said with Ranma's other uncle, Sydney. 'Uncle Sid' was particularly a surgeon, although he hadn't quite given up his thrill for fighting that had been instilled in him in the Academy. Ranma occasionally found the two twins quarreling in friendly duels in the dojo. Their style of martial arts, if it could be called that, was particularly fighting with weapons.

Ranma had taken up the challenge of being too weak to walk with his usual determination and actually managed to stand by the second month. He spent each day working his tiny muscles to the point of exhaustion and then some. Hoshiko found his 'training' cute and was very proud when he managed his first steps so young.

Once he was walking, however, Fugao took Ranma up on his earlier promise of getting strong. Between strict lessons on battle strategy, Fugao was showing no mercy on Ranma in the dojo. Ranma's skill was of little help against his father, although Fugao was hard-pressed when faced with Ranma's chi attacks.

When Ranma wasn't being trained or taught, his family allowed him to either explore on his own or they took him to various notable sights on the unique planet.

Ranma never came around to telling his life story, and, true to their word, his family never asked. Also, Ranma amazingly never revealed his gender curse to his family. As a matter of fact, he didn't even know if he still had it. Cold water was almost impossible to find on Nemesis.

The whole planet's water sources, from lakes to rain, were naturally warm. It wasn't always that way, Hoshiko had told Ranma one day, but for some reason everything had changed after The Planets' Collision - as if the planet itself was displeased by their actions. Sinks and tubs only produced that warm water, unless someone wished to pay extra for a water-cooler, which the Uzuki family never felt the need for.

That strange phenomenon was greatly appreciated by Ranma. If a cup of water had been left out too long and was starting to cool, he would poor it out before it even reached lukewarm. At first, drinking hot water was an annoyance for him, but in time he accepted it and drank hot tea instead.

The routine was broken when Ranma turned four years old, the mandatory age for entering the Academy.

The instructor outside the Academy gave Fugao a sharp salute when he noticed his rank. Ranma's father returned it lazily, his other hand on the young Ranma's shoulder. "It's nice to see you are still working, Instructor Hayes."

The man smiled, casting an eye at Ranma. "Of course, Uzuki-sama… I wasn't aware you had a son."

The officer beamed proudly. "A damned skill one at that. This is Ranma."

Hayes examined Ranma more critically, studying his muscle mass and stance. "At this age? How skilled?"

"Test him against a regular."

Hayes looked up, startled. "A regular? With this boy?" At Fugao's confident nod, Hayes let out a disbelieving laugh. "I know you are good, Uzuki-sama, but never _this_ good. Alright, this is something I have to see." He led them inside the massive building - one story, three basement levels, and one by one-half miles long - and said, "You are just here for the paperwork today, correct?"

At four years old, everyone entered the Academy - even women. Although segregated by gender, there was no discrimination in standards or intensity of the training. Age also meant little; one could graduate as soon as they proved mastery of combat, of scenario, and of teamwork. Once graduated, many of the new soldiers remained there, where they would rise through the military ranks. Others, like Reyth and Sydney, moved onto other careers. No matter what, however, _everyone_ on Nemesis entered the Academy until they graduated. Everyone, civilian or otherwise, was a trained soldier adept at combat. Hera was right to fear them.

Fugao, pushing Ranma forward, said, "Yes, but I'm also here for the test."

Ranma assumed the two to be old friends as their conversation descending into quick catching up, although remaining strictly professional. Hayes entered one of the barracks and pulled a basic infantry soldier. A man more than twice Ranma's height followed the instructor out obediently.

The quad entered one of the training fields, where hundreds of soldiers were already broken into groups that were sparring, learning new techniques, or practicing battle formations. More than a few stopped when they noticed the commanding officer and the people he was with.

Hayes informed the masses and other instructors why they were there, prompting them to gather around to witness it. It wasn't everyday one saw their commanding officer's kid in action, no matter his age. More than a few whispered bets on how long Ranma would last, ranging from first hit to a solid thirty seconds.

Ranma's opponent looked surprised when he heard the news. "Um, Instructor Hayes? Are you sure about this, sir? I don't want to do any lasting damage, sir."

Hayes glanced at Fugao before shrugging. "Let the medics worry about the injuries. This is a no holds, hand-to-hand duel."

The soldier still seemed unsure, but he said, "Yes, sir." He looked towards Ranma with a confident smirk. He looked like he wanted to say something, but he was holding back because Ranma was the officer's kid.

Fugao folded his arms, a grin of his own still on his face. "Begin."

Ranma didn't move, simply standing there with his arms at his sides looking like any other kid his age would before entering the Academy. The soldier moved at the command, coming in strong. Ranma noticed that his opponent was underestimating him.

The first punch was dodged in the typical lean-back style, although Ranma was surprised by its speed. He felt the wind from it ruffling his hair. It was then he realized he couldn't win, although he certainly wasn't going to go down easy. The soldier was startled by the dodge, but he didn't allow himself to be distracted. A wicked kick followed his first attack.

Ranma narrowly dodged to the side, again feeling the wind of the blow. Getting hit just once would be very, very bad. He dodged a second kick and an unexpected elbow strike, both times still almost being hit. The crowd was getting excited by the show, pleasantly surprised by the kid being fast enough to dodge.

Ranma finally got serious. He caught the next punch with open palms, making a loud smack sound. The blow jarred Ranma's arms, but he gritted his teeth through the force. He shoved the arm towards the soldiers chest and tried to get a hit in on the man's unguarded side. However, what he didn't expect was the soldier resisting the shove and backhanding him hard.

Ranma was launched back several yards, back-flipping to land on his feet. He pressed his tongue into his stinging cheek, grin now wide on his boyish face. He and the soldier charged. Ranma slapped away the first blow and struck out with a flying kick trying to use his momentum. What he found instead was the soldier trapping his leg between the soldier's arm and chest. Before Ranma could think of a way out, the man brought hits fists together and slammed them into Ranma's chest.

Ranma hit the ground hard, stunned and disoriented. He barely caught sight of a raised foot and rolled away before that slammed into the ground. Ranma ended in a kneel, holding his chest in pain with the wind knocked out of him. His breathing came weak.

The soldier moved closer to strike Ranma, but instead Ranma jumped up from his spot to elbow the man in his solar plexus. The soldier turned just enough for the blow to hit his sternum instead. He tried to swat Ranma away, but the injured boy twisted his body to avoid it. As Ranma began his small descent from the man's chest, the soldier brought his knee up hard.

Ranma gasped as he found himself launched into the air, pain burning through his hamstrings from the blow. He tried to land on his feet but crumpled to his knees. The soldier figured it was almost over. The kid had been better than he thought. He moved in for the finisher.

Ranma was desperately trying to find the strength to move his legs. He tried to think of a way he could gain the advantage. A Hiryu Shoten Ha would finish things easy enough, but the soldier was too careful in holding in his fiery battle aura with his confidence. Although he wanted to save it for later, Ranma knew it was time to use his own confidence.

"_MOKO TAKABISHA!_" A yellow ball, smaller than normal due to Ranma's confidence being dampened by his predicament, shot out of an outstretched hand.

The soldier smacked the ball away with a grin. Like something that weak would stop him.

Instructor Hayes watch the fight with interest, as did hundreds of other troops. Although impressed by Ranma's skill - he was beyond outstanding considering that he was just four years old - he had to wonder why Fugao was still grinning. Ranma was finished, wasn't he?

The soldier didn't waste time with a fancy finisher or speech. He merely struck out with a blow for the head as soon as he was close enough.

_So what if I lose, I'm still one of the best. I have the body of a four year old and am better than people more than twice that age! I was the Earth's best martial artists and now I'll be Nemesis's too. I'm too good to be anything less._ A rush of confidence filled Ranma. The soldier, while not wasting time, had left himself wide open in his overconfidence.

_"MOKO TAKABISHA!"_ Ranma yelled as the soldier's arm was just about to descend. A massive golden orb, much larger than before, exploded out of Ranma's hand. The soldier's eyes widened as it slammed into him, taking him off his feet and over a dozen yards back. He hit the padded ground hard, too heavy to bounce or skid.

Realizing what he had just done, Ranma was almost bursting with confidence. He stood, ignoring how unstable his legs were, and took a cocky stance. The crowd of soldiers was stunned.

The soldier, still on the ground, started laughing. He returned to a stand in strong, sure movements - looking _almost_ entirely unharmed. A grin was spread across his face as he regarded Ranma. "That one actually hurt, kid. I'm starting to like you."

Ranma grinned back. He could win this. He knew he could. He was Ranma Uzuki-Saotome. He was unstoppable. The soldier, his battle lust ignited, charged in with a grin. Ranma only had time to discouragingly notice the man wasn't giving off a hot battle aura before the man was upon him.

_"MOKO-"_ A big fist in his stomach cut Ranma off, along with sending him a few feet back. Before he could even roll to a stop, the man was there. He tackled Ranma, his crushing weight pinning down the young martial artists. The soldier then grabbed Ranma with both hands, rolled onto his back, and slammed Ranma face first into the ground.

Ranma was stunned, his vision blurring. Before he could muster a further defense, the man elbowed him in the back of the head. With a final gasp, Ranma blacked out.

XXXX

Hours after Ranma had returned home with his father, another man heard about the fight.

"Hurt him, you said?" he asked. He had been in his office, going over the endless stream of happenings on Nemesis, when several notable people brought a fight to his attention.

"Yes, Ryu-sama. The boy is just four years old, and he has integrated _ki attacks_ into his fighting style," the director of Imperial Sector's Academy, Instructor Hayes' superior, acknowledged almost breathlessly.

Ryu placed a file on his desk and slid it to the director before leaning back in his chair. "What can you tell me about that?"

The director picked up the file and squinted at it. It was titled merely 'Ranma,' with the place for the last name curiously blank. He blinked and opened it. Two crystal sheets were lit up with writing like thin computer screens. As the director read through them, he frowned, eyebrows furrowing.

Ryu tossed a hand in the air. "Welcome to the curious case of Ranma Uzuki… Saotome. His profile is updated regularly by the Uzuki family. This was never brought to anyone's attention, although they never kept it secret. I wasn't even aware of him until you and the others informed me of his fight with the regular."

"Sir, I… don't understand," the director uttered. "'Age: four and twenty-two?' 'Self-named?' … 'First steps by second month?' That isn't even physically possibly."

Ryu smiled. "Like I said: _curious_…. What do you think about the forth paragraph of the background info?"

"He believes men and women are equal? At that age?" the director looked back up at Ryu. "I personally think soldiers are soldiers, no matter their sex, but… Aren't people generally older when they make independent decisions like that? I know Fugao-sama's opinion on genders. I don't believe that he would accept this that easily."

Ryu tilted his head. "Is twenty-two not old enough to make his own decisions?"

The director blinked, remembering the age inconsistency. "That has to be a glitch, or maybe a mistake. I saw the fight through a security camera. He is undoubtedly four years old."

"You know, I've been looking for an apprentice recently," Ryu suddenly stated, changing the subject. The director's eyes widened. "Someone strong enough to protect the people, but also someone not blinded by prejudice. There are a few people who fit the bill, but none that were _interesting._"

Ryu grinned slyly, and the director swallowed. "And Ranma, here, is quite _interesting_."

XXXX

As usual, Ranma was fully recovered after one night's rest. The next morning, he was in his backyard practicing an old kata. He felt frustrated that he couldn't have done more against the soldier. He still had had the Amaguriken and Moko Takabisha Double in reserve. He felt driven to improve. At least he had done better against the basic infantry soldier than he did against Fugao.

In time, Ranma had grown used to the unique nature of Nemesis. The high gravity was unnoticeable to his body, but things dropped to the ground much faster and harder. The light green sky above, which he learned was because of how the atmosphere bent the light, was no longer strange. The purple grass had turned comforting over the years. The squat trees of the forest behind the Uzuki Mansion had dark green bark with red leaves, the same as any tree on Nemesis. The red wasn't a blood red, but the color of leafs in the fall. Because of a straighter rotational axis, the leafs were always that color. The seasons changed so subtly that they weren't even recognized. The planet's constantly hot water was even a bit of a blessing.

Ranma only stopped his kata when he felt someone powerful approaching. He faced the forest with a curious look, wondering who could be out there. Soon, he saw the visitor.

A man, dressed in white and black, glided through the trees like he belonged in a forest. Ranma recognized his movements as that of a martial artist… or a soldier; on Nemesis, as Ranma had to constantly remind himself, it was soldiers who moved like that, not martial artists. Ranma noticed a sword resting on the man's hip, its elaborate white hilt blending with the man's clothes.

When he was closer, Ranma could make out details in the man's uniform. It was no soldier's, from what he had seen. It was skintight, almost like a spandex, and completely white. Above the bodysuit, he wore black armor plates. The plates individually covered his shoulders, chest, wrists, thighs, and shins respectively.

Finding the getup ridiculous, Ranma sniggered at him. "I wouldn't be caught dead in something like that."

The man smiled at Ranma enigmatically. "I doubt that." He took a glance at his uniform. "Besides, it used to be much worse, trust me. It used to be just the spandex. I finally grew enough common sense to cover what's important."

He dropped into a fighting stance, intriguing Ranma. "Now, I came here for a spar. I want you to go all out."

Ranma grinned. That was all the prompting he needed. He channeled ki into his legs, strengthening them for one burst. The man was only five feet away… Ranma lunged as hard as he could and used the speed to kick the man in the groin. "Saotome Boy Remover!"

The man gasped and collapsed, hands covering his life-threatening injury. He had planned on giving Ranma _one_ free shot and now deeply regretted it.

"Covered what's important, my ass," Ranma taunted. "There is only one thing worth protecting, and now you know exactly what that is." It was a cheap move, he knew - another one of Genma inspiration - but it certainly made him feel good knowing that he beat a man undoubtedly stronger than the soldier he had fought the previous day… Even if temporarily.

The man took deep breaths, trying to get the pain to go away. He spent a long time groaning and rolling back and forth on the ground, but eventually he managed to compose himself somewhat and stand shakily. After a deep, calming breath, the man said weakly, "I'll keep that in mind."

He stood a little bit straighter, suppressing a spike of pain. "My name is Kotetsu, Ryu. I am the Senshi of Nemesis." He paused to let that sink in and was rewarded by seeing Ranma's eyes widen. "I have an offer for you. Do you wish to become my apprentice… and eventually Senshi Nemesis yourself?"

Ranma's jaw dropped. He was offering _him_ a chance to become a Senshi? Senshi were the best of the best. They fought to protect the people of the planet. Ryu, by being Senshi, was essentially Nemesis's strongest fighter… And he had lost to Ranma. "You don't seem like much," Ranma muttered without thinking.

Hearing that, Ryu chuckled. "It seems a demonstration is in order. Let us finish our spar." Ranma dropped back into a stance. "_SHADOW DANCE!"_ The man sunk into his shadow.

Ranma blinked as the man's shadow vanished with him, leaving no trace of the Senshi. He searched side-to-side and, upon seeing nothing, sent out his ki senses. As soon as they were out, he felt a presence behind him and his danger sense flared. He turned just in time to see Ryu jump out of his shadow and slam a fist into his face. Ranma flew across the back yard and into one of the squat trees. The wood didn't even creak from the impact. The Senshi vanished into his own shadow once again.

Ranma picked himself back up and watched his shadow warily. Out of the corner of his eye, however, he noticed Ryu jump out of the shadow of the tree he had hit and Ranma was hit once again. The boy skidded to a stop this time, understanding the technique. _It's not just my shadow he can come from, but any shadow._

Ryu had an amused smirk on his face as he disappeared inside another shadow. The fight continued like this, being predominately one-sided as Ryu was skilled at not only using the technique but also general combat. After several minutes of the thrashing, Ryu moved onto more powerful techniques. _"SHADOW DRAGON!"_

Ranma's eyes went wide as a black form rose from Senshi Nemesis's shadow. It formed into, as the name suggested, a dragon. The beast let out a silent roar and shot at Ranma, jaws wide, like an energy attack. Unsure of its strength, Ranma quickly countered it the best way he could, "_MOKO TAKABISHA DOUBLE!"_ The twin orbs of golden ki met the pitch black dragon in a substantial collision, but the dragon ripped its way free, surprising Ranma. He took it full force.

Ranma, already exhausted from a double ki attack and Ryu's earlier actions, felt excruciating pain as the dragon crashed into him. A charred, beat up, and defeated Ranma was left in its wake. He looked up from his place in the ground. "How… How did you make that so strong?"

Ryu smiled and helped Ranma stand back up. "There are three ways to improve your attack to be like mine. I'll only teach them to you when you become my apprentice. Although the third thing is something you can do only if you become a Senshi."

"If?"

Ryu looked at him strangely. "Well, it's not a guarantee. Your family could refuse the training, you could back out at any time during your apprenticeship, or we could even die before we get that far." With a cheery smile on his face, he asked, "So, shall we ask your family?" Ranma, eyes still a little wide, nodded and led him into the house.

It was at that moment that Ranma decided it was time to explain his past to his family. He had justified his delays a thousand times over, but suddenly that all felt foolish. Already in the kitchen from the backyard door, he filled a cup of water and placed it in the refrigerator, to the silent curiosity of Ryu.

As it was still morning, the whole Uzuki family was still at the house, not to mention they were all to be there for his entrance to the Academy. He gathered them into the luxurious living room, where each was surprised to see Ryu waiting.

Eventually, Ranma was the only one left standing. "Before we get to why he's here, I kinda want finally tell you guys who I am… or rather _was_."

The normally lax Senshi suddenly straightened up, interest piqued. It was obvious from the file that Ranma was more than he appeared, but if he had gathered everyone for this it seemed not even his family knew the whole truth.

Ranma looked at Ryu as he spoke. "My name is Ranma Uzuki-Saotome. I am twenty-two years old. This body, however, is only four." He then turned over to his family. The twins were in matching white scrub pants and black, sleeveless shirts made of a material Ranma had never seen on Earth. Fugao, without his officer's coat in the morning, wore the military standard, dark grey shirt and his thick pants. The shirt was littered with pins and patches from various feats the man had performed in his years. Hoshioko was in a simple blue dress and an apron, both made of that strange material Ranma and the twins also wore.

"I was born in the Juuban district of Tokyo, Japan, Asia Sector, Earth. However, where I came from, there was no such thing as a Moon Kingdom, nor could someone live on another planet. I have no idea if my old life was in the past or future, but considering how I got here, this is most likely the past…" And Ranma told his tale.

He left out as little as possible, describing the training trip, its misadventures, the technology of his Earth, the much greater equality between sexes… And then he got to China.

Ranma walked back in the room with the now cold cup of water. Holding it was chilling for him in more ways than one. "Now this training ground, Jusenkyo, was cursed. Of course, pops, being the fool he was, couldn't read a word of the Chinese on the handout of Jusenkyo. When we got there, we saw a bunch of little pools of water with bamboo sticks coming out of them. The guide who watched over the place starting telling us about something we weren't paying attention to. Pops and I both jumped onto the poles and began to fight. In the background I noticed the guide was yelling something, but we weren't paying attention to him at all. Probably the biggest mistake in my life."

The others were drawn into the story, even if it wasn't told particularly well. "Rule number five of battle," Fugao reminded absently.

Ranma turned to him and nodded. "'When fighting in a foreign land, Intel from natives is key.' Of course, it didn't exactly seem like foreign land, so we felt like we didn't have anything to worry about." Ranma stared down into his cup of cold water, reminiscing. "I knocked pops down in the first hit. He landed in one of the pools. I was actually getting worried when he didn't come out after awhile.

"Then a panda burst out of that pool and attacked me, and I mean like martial arts attacked me. I finally tuned-in the guide and heard something about 'spring of drowned panda' and that 'whoever fall in that spring takes body of panda.' Of course, the panda was attacking me that whole time, and as my pops was better than me at that time, I got knocked down relevantly fast."

Ranma swirled the water in his cup, staring at his old nemesis. "I felt a tingling feeling when I first entered, but I dismissed it as just the shock of cold water. However, I _did_ notice something different when I came up for air. There was something on my chest." Ranma pointed to his chest for emphasis. "So I looked down, opened my gi, and… What I found was…" He paused for dramatic effect. It put the adults on the edge of their seats. "Boobs." Everyone face-faulted.

Ryu was up first. "Come on, Ranma! What did you find?"

"I told you, boobs. 'Spring of drowned girl' and all that," Ranma answered, finally looking up from his cup.

Reyth recovered, "I'm sorry Ranma, but in all 120 of my years the only time I've heard of a guy turning into a girl was some wanna-be Senshi who started a revolt and were crushed. Even though you talked about all those other strange things, this is pushing my 'believable' limits."

Ranma smirked, "Well, the story isn't finished yet. So, when I saw that I was actually a girl, I yelled at the guide and asked why he didn't warn us of this. He just muttered about ignorant customers and left. When he came back, I was out of the pool strangling the panda I found out to be my pops. He was carrying a bucket of hot water. He poured it on pops, and the panda turned back into Genma. He then poured it on me and I returned into a guy. I thanked him for the cure and began to leave when he said that I wasn't cured. We talked a bit more and I found that I turn into a girl from cold water and a man from hot. Before asking if there actually _was_ a cure, I ran outside to strangle pops again. I found the panda running away and began to chase him. Along the way I bumped into Ryoga and he also fell into a spring. I didn't know that until later. When I finally caught up to him, we were at an Amazon village. There, I-"

"Wait a second, Ranma," Sydney, Reyth's twin, interrupted. "I'm already disappointed that I don't get to give you The Talk when you're older." He ignored Reyth smacking the back of his head. "But, seeing you transform into a girl will more than make up for it." He grinned. "It would certainly explain why you seemed so knowledgeable about-" Reyth whacked him harder.

Ranma blushed. He glanced down at the cold water. "You know, I haven't turned into a girl for four years now. I don't even know if I still have the curse." He brought the cup above his head and took a deep breath. Everyone watched in intrigued silence. Ranma poured the cold water on himself. Immediately, he recognized the almost-forgotten tingle of changing genders. After letting out a shuddering breath, she grinned up at their bug-eyed faces.

Ryu was on his feet in a flash. "Oh shit, Starlight! Crazy men-turned-women have return-…" He stopped himself suddenly, taking a deep breath with a hand on his heart. "Dammit, I still remember…"

Ranma sweat-dropped, having never seen _that_ kind of reaction before. Little did she know that it wouldn't be the last. The undeveloped redhead ran into the kitchen, splashed herself with water from the sink, and came back in as a male.

Ryu had returned to his sitting casually on the comfy sofa, although his heart was still beating a little faster than normal. Once Ranma was close enough, the Senshi said, "You know, I bet Queen Serenity could fix that curse."

Fugao's hand clenched into a fist as he scowled. "I will not let _my_ son go to that man-hating, backstabbing _bitch!_ Ryu-sama, you _do_ remember what those Moon Kingdom whores did to you, don't you?"

A dark look crossed Senshi Nemesis's face as he fingered an area under the left side of the chest plate. "Yes, I remember _very well_ what _Hera_ did to me. I also remember what _Crystal_ has done _for_ me. That was years in the past, long before you were even born, _Commanding Officer_. Queen Serenity IV is by no means someone to hate. She is kind and just, someone to be _respected_." His voice was sharp and commanding, leaving no room for argument. Fugao glowered and stomped out the room angrily. Ryu's glare followed him.

Hoshiko stood and spoke up for her husband. "Please, forgive him. As is normal for our society, he has been brought up to detest women. That a kingdom is ruled by one, especially one that backstabbed you like that, Ryu-sama, makes him understandably angry. Please, forgive him." She left the room to calm her husband and coax him into returning.

The Senshi calmed somewhat. "I understand, but… After all these years, people still blame the entire female population for _one_ woman… Well, for what one woman started. It disgusts me." Ranma nodded at his words.

Finally, Fugao returned, Hoshiko following with a satisfied, if secret, smile. The man was much calmer, but he refused to look in the direction of the Senshi for the time being.

"As I was saying," Ranma cut in, trying to break the mounting tension. He continued telling his story. Amazons, Tendo's, Nerima in general…

When he got to Phoenix Mountain, however, there was another interruption. Ryu was leaning forward, rubbing his chin. "Winged-people? Saffron?" He made hand motions. "Orange and black hair? Inheritor of the Kinjakan and Gekkaja? Loves capes?" Ranma smirked at the descriptions and nodded. "No doubt, that's Mars's boy. He was her apprentice until Hera came along and Mars replaced him with a girl."

Ranma soaked up that piece of information for later use, and then finished up the story. When he got to the part with the scrolls and being born again, he explained his theory, "Well, since I haven't really seen this life as a punishment, I think something must have happened and got the two scrolls switched. From the pictures I've seen of the queens and Senshi, this is definitely a land of pretty ladies. Seeing how it said 'ancient land' I'm guessing this is the past. What confuses me, though, is the fact that this past is far more ahead technology-wise than the future."

Ryu had an intrigued smile on his face after the story, and he was nodding at Ranma's theory. "That sounds like something I need to consult with Pluto-san about." He flicked a hand towards the Uzuki family. "Now Ranma, explain the reason why I'm here."

Ranma suddenly flushed, having completely forgotten about that. "R-Right. Ryu is here to ask if I may become his apprentice." The Uzuki family, already in silence from his story, were rocked back by that. Although he only barely remembered it, Ranma was reminded of when he left on the training trip with Genma all those years ago.

Fugao was the first to stop gaping. "Ryu-sama, I would be honored if you train my son to be the future Senshi of Nemesis."

Although Fugao was technically the only one Ryu needed consent from, the twins couldn't help commenting. Looking at the boy in question, Reyth smiled. "Life will be boring without you, but you should go on the trip, Ranma."

Sydney, the scar-less doctor, clasped a big hand on Ranma's shoulder. He leaned in, a stern look on his face. Ranma stared back, curious. "I hear women on Pluto are _naturally_ green-" Reyth brought both fists down on Sydney's head to send the man face-first in the ground, eyes spinning. Ranma raised an eyebrow, not understanding what his uncle had been trying to say.

Ryu hid a smirk behind his hand. _If Pluto-san had heard that…_

Ranma turned to his mother for her opinion on the matter. She looked surprised at that and gave him a small smile. "You know that this is a man's decision, Ranma-kun." Ranma's face scrunched in disgust, but he nodded his understanding.

The Senshi clapped his hands together to get everyone's attention. "Then it's done. Ranma, pack your things. It's time to become a Senshi." The boy's look was replaced with a grin as he ran upstairs with a four-year-old's enthusiasm. Ryu turned back to the family with a regretful smile. "Normally I'd give you folks some time before taking him, but we all know what happens if I don't get him out of here before the Academy comes knocking."

They nodded their understanding, Fugao especially. Avoiding the Academy was a capital offense. Scores of measure were taken to make sure that never happened, even for the son of someone as prestigious as the Commanding Officer. Besides, they were already prepared for Ranma leaving for the Academy, so him leaving for Senshi apprenticeship instead wasn't too sudden.

By the time Ranma came downstairs with a large pack, his family had prepared their gifts for him. Reyth presented a psychology book with the instruction to have it flawlessly memorized by the time they next saw each other. Sydney handed Ranma a book on Nemesisian Anatomy. The doctor whispered in Ranma's ear, "Page 450 has the right pictures, if you know what I mean." Although not hearing what his brother said, Reyth sent Sydney a disapproving look.

Now blushing, Ranma received a crushing hug from his mother. The blue-haired woman was trying hard not to cry as she said, "Remember not to tease the burrowboars, and don't forget to salute your superiors, and try to eat healthy, and make sure you read before sleeping every night, and… and.. Oh, I'm going to miss you!"

Ranma was turning as blue as her hair from lack of oxygen. He sucked in deep, relived breaths once she let go. "I understand, Okaa-san. I'll try to write to you guys every so often." With tears and a watery smile, Hoshiko stepped back.

Fugao, now donning his officer's coat, had his usual hard look. "Come with me." Ranma left his stuff at the bottom of the stairs and followed. The others stayed behind with Hoshiko silently observing the twins asking Ryu some last minute questions.

Fugao led Ranma outside to the backyard he had been practicing in earlier. They stopped before the rows of weapon racks. Fugao gestured to his prized armory with a sweep of his hand. "Before you go, Ranma, I want you to choose one."

Ranma's eyes bugged. He knew his father valued each one more than anything else. It was his life's collection - trophies of accomplishment and spoils of battles. Ranma had only been allowed to touch them when Fugao was instructing him on how to use them. "Are… Are you sure?"

The officer smiled. "I was planning on giving you one once you graduated the Academy, but this is a much more appropriate time. Being a Senshi is dangerous business, and I'm not just talking about dealing with those bitches from the Moon Kingdom. Ryu-sama will teach you everything you need to know about combat and then some. It is best to have your chosen weapon while training."

Ranma, wide eyes locked on the rows, nodded slowly. He took several steps forward, walking down the racks. There was everything. Swords of all types, from claymores to flyssa, zanbatou to rapiers, were lined up gloriously. Everything was of masterful craft, the occasional truce allowing the legendary smiths of Jupiter to craft a weapon of Nemesisian metal fixed with elegant hilts or wood from Nemesisian trees. Besides the swords, there were the more unusual. Maces, ball & chain, wires for silent decapitations, claws, axes of all types, and even blow darts were delicately hung. True to their Mercurian heritage, several weapons carried the sure sign of technological improvement, such as the Discharge Blade from The Planets' Collision or throwing knives that honed in on the beating of a heart.

Ranma then thought about what he could use best. Weapons training with Fugao had been minimal at best, although long before he had meet the Uzuki's Ranma had been skilled with a staff. Ranma moved to the staff section, eyes scanning the carved shafts of dark green wood. As he tested the weight of a few under Fugao's watchful eye, Ranma suddenly remembered something. Wood, even the strong kind found on Nemesis, could still be sliced in half by a blade.

Ranma moved over to polearms. He inspected the spears, glaives, and even halberds and found that any would do. However, his main problem was that the only way to make a non-lethal blow with them was if he completely reversed the weapon to strike with the butt end.

And then Ranma found a scythe.

A common farming tool, Fugao had still earned the weapon after a conflict in grasslands where the blades of grass where taller than his troops and naturally resilient to bending. He and a team had used those weapons to cut through both the grass and the enemy soldiers hiding within. He was only a Sergeant at the time.

Ranma picked up it up. The shaft was dark green, carved from the wood of their own forest, and the blade was black, smelted from Nemesis's own metal: black copper. The metal was black as night, even as an ore, and found only on Nemesis. The high gravity of the planet compressed it into a dense, almost unbreakable material. The gravity did the same for Nemesis's trees, although a tree was still a tree that burned and splintered under the right circumstances.

Ranma tested the weapon, causing Fugao to smirk. He remembered his time with the weapon. The blade protruding sideways allowed for easier parries, while its curved nature made most blows glance off. The entire shaft could be used offensively like a staff, while the metal back of the head (heel) was perfect for sapping an enemy. Staff training, which Fugao knew Ranma was an expert in, was key for using the weapon without killing.

With a staff-like twirl of the weapon, Ranma ended in an offensive stance. He heard clapping coming from behind his father, and both turned to see Senshi Nemesis standing there with an approving nod. "Nice choice. I know a person on Saturn who is just wicked with polearms." Ryu took a glance at the still low sun. "Anyways, it's time to go, Ranma." He returned to the front of the house, giving the Uzuki's a final chance to say goodbye.

Fugao handed Ranma a strap with a holster so that he could sheath the scythe on his back before leading them back inside the house. Ranma slowly slipped his pack over his new scythe, reluctant to leave his new family.

Reyth kneeled and gave Ranma a hug. "Have fun out there. I'm sure you'll do us proud."

Sydney nodded, "And by that, he means you better have bedded at least a dozen- oomph!" Reyth had silenced him with an elbow.

Hoshiko gave Ranma one last crushing hug, while Fugao practically beamed at his son. Ranma never felt so torn between excitement and reluctance. He had lived with these people for four years, longer than anyone from Nerima, and now he was leaving practically for good, to become a legendary _Senshi._ He knew that he would see them again, but…

With a final wave, Ranma walked down his front patio to where Ryu was waiting. The man glanced once at Ranma's family before taking the boy's hand. They descended into his shadow, vanishing to parts unknown.

XXxx Nemesis xxXX

Eight years later, a twelve year old Ranma stood face to face with another soldier.. It was his 'actual' thirtieth birthday, and Ryu had decided it was time to leave Nemesis the planet for the first time. Before that, of course, he wanted to see Ranma in action against a regular once again.

This time, it was a live combat situation. The soldier was strapped down with the standard technology and given a weapon. Ranma, in replication of being a Senshi in a fight, was given nothing but his scythe. Thousands surrounded the two in the arena section of the Academy, with millions watching from screens recording the battle. Ranma's family was there as well, sitting front row.

The weapons had been altered for the occasion. Both were exact replica's in size and weight of Ranma's scythe and the soldier's claymore, although the blades had been dulled and laced with a tranquilizer that copied the same effect as if struck by a real blade - in regards to pain and weakening. A killing blow would induce a knockout.

Ryu stood next to Ranma stoically with his arms crossed. Thousands shouted and cheered at him - the hero of the planet. He took it in with a stony demeanor. He had learned from his foolish mistake of letting that go to his head and had paid for it many times over. He said to his apprentice, "I want you to go all out."

Ranma had a smirk on his face. The boy hadn't changed much over the years, although differences were noticeable in his personality. "I don't want to humiliate him."

Ryu huffed with amusement. "You aren't _that_ good."

"That isn't what I meant," Ranma replied, smirk still there.

"Well, if you don't give it your all, he is going to tear you apart."

Ranma shrugged. "Whatever. I just feel bad for him."

Ryu finally glanced down at Ranma. "You're Hiryu Shoten Ha isn't going to work on him. You know that, right?"

Ranma started stretching. "Yeah, yeah. 'Nemesisian soldiers are taught to control their emotions in a battle, using their enemies' recklessness against them.'"

"Alright, then. Let's get this started." The Senshi moved forward to talk to the opponent for a second before standing between them. He held a hand up. "Ready?" After glancing at both competitors, he swung his hand down. "Begin!"

Ranma drew his scythe and lunged to the side in a second, watching as the strength-enhanced soldier slammed into the spot he had been standing at previously. Once again, Ranma knew he was outmatched, but he had something up his sleeve. _Anything goes._

Ranma rolled to a stop and brought his scythe up in an instant, just in time to parry against his opponents sword. Ranma then jumped forward, the blade sliding off his scythe and striking with the butt end as hard as possible. He saw a blue bubble ripple before he made contact, the energy shield stopping his attack. The soldier slammed a kick into Ranma's stomach, sending the boy back.

Ranma grunted but landed on his feet. Immediately he was on the defensive, barely bringing his scythe up to block the flurry of attacks. His opponent probably wasn't much stronger or faster than him, but the performance-enhancing gear the man wore was pushing Ranma to his limits. He needed to break through the man's shield and destroy the robotics.

Of course, before he could do that, Ranma needed to get rid of the scythe. He was good enough with a weapon, but he still excelled in unarmed combat. It was time for techniques.

After the Soul of Ice training, Ranma had always been in control of his emotions during a fight. Ryu had taught him to go beyond that… and use it. Ranma killed of his emotions, enveloping himself into the technique. Once unhindered by emotions, Ranma's ki was in its pure state. Its raw state. Its most powerful state.

Ranma leapt back as hard as he could to provide distance. _"MOKO TAKABISHA REVISED, apathetic edition."_ The attack came out a pure white.

The soldier brought his claymore up to block the attack, but he was unprepared for the strength it packed. It knocked him back and shattered his shield. His arms stung despite their enhancements, although he came out for the most part unharmed. He came to a skidding stop and charged back in.

Ranma had used the time to sheath his scythe and meet the attack head-on. He sidestepped the swing and lashed out with a kick. The soldier blocked the kick with his own leg and tried to elbow Ranma. Instead, Ranma dodged the blow and used the limb to swing himself up.

Ranma had a perfect shot to knee the man in his unprotected face, but Ryu had told him to go all out. Already the soldier was bringing his hand up to knock Ranma away. Ranma slapped the man's trapezius before he was smacked away hard. The boy hit the padded ground with a crunch, luckily on his stomach as the scythe was on his back.

Ryu saw that and kept his face neutral, although he was worried for Ranma. It had been a hard blow, and for what? A slap on the neck? Ranma's earlier words came back to him. Unable to come to a conclusion, Ryu continued to watch.

The ex-martial artists rolled over, face scrunched in pain. He saw the soldier standing there, not following up on his relentless assault. He took a breath to soothe the pain and slowly returned to his feet. His stomach was on fire, and his chest wasn't doing much better. Without looking back on his opponent, he walked back towards Ryu.

He smirked weakly at the man. "I told you I didn't want to humiliate him." He coughed and clenched his stomach in pain. After a second of Ryu staring in confused silence, Ranma continued. "I guess the drugged weapons weren't needed, huh?"

Ryu didn't understand exactly what had happened. The soldier was still standing there, unmoving. He moved past Ranma to inspect him. The man had wide eyes and was still breathing, but beyond that he refused to move. Ryu gave him a gentle tap and was surprised to see the man fall back, arms and legs still in their same position.

The crowd that had been holding their breath suddenly let it out in one big cheer. The fight had been short, but it was fast-paced and the outcome totally unexpected. Many awaited Ryu's explanation for Ranma's victory while the boy's family asked him the same thing.

Ranma gave a curious look to Reyth. "Oji-san, you of all people should know. You're the one who taught me."

Ryu knelt next to the frozen man and inspected the area Ranma had slapped. Five dots could be seen reddening, each spread around the muscle and neck. Instantly, he understood. _Clever, Ranma. You used a-_

"-Pressure point?" Reyth gasped. "In a fight? I never thought…"

Ranma laughed and scratched the base of his trademark pigtail. "Remember that Doctor Tofu I told you guys about? Well, he gave me the idea, and I found out where Nemesisian pressure points are from your books."

Sydney looked out to the paralyzed man. "Beaten by a single tap from a twelve year old. Isn't that kind of… humiliating?"

Ranma shrugged. "That's what I said, but Ryu told me to go all out."

"That I did," Ryu said as he approached. "Well, the good news is that everyone just about idolizes you and your transition to Senshihood will be quite smooth - may that day be far off - but the bad news is that that man will probably track you down to the ends of the universe to slit your throat."

"May that day be far off, too," Ranma offered.

Ryu cracked a smile. "Alright, I'll give you some time to catch up with your family. Meet me at the docks in one hour." The Senshi then slipped into his shadow, trying to avoid the still cheering crowds.

Ranma turned back to his family for some long 'catching up.' Eight years and this was the first time Ryu had let him see his family.

XXxx Mars xxXX

An hour later, much too short for the boy, Ranma gulped. Before him was an intergalactic aerial transport. It was empty save for the pilots as Nemesis's rogue status made them unable to travel to other planets often.

The Senshi of Nemesis noticed Ranma's nervous look and tried to calm him down, "You've fought 'Phoenix gods,' two Nemesisian soldiers, and me without a hint of fear. Now you are afraid of doing one of the safest forms of transportation?"

Ranma looked at his sensei. "In a fight, it's all about my ability. In _this_ it's all about the maker's ability. And I'm not afraid, just a little cautious."

Ryu rolled his eyes and ushered Ranma onto the vessel. "You'll be fine. Mars is closest planet to here. It won't be a long trip."

Ranma sighed and allowed himself to be pushed into one of the seats. He strapped himself in like a ride at Tokyo's Disneyland, with three different straps and a colorful harness that went over his shoulders. Ryu sat next to him, also strapped in.

Ranma closed his eyes tight when the engines started. A rumble could be heard before the whole ship suddenly lurched upwards. It accelerated, gaining speed and squishing Ranma's stomach into his legs. Fighting through the triple gravity at that speed spoke of the ship's engine capabilities.

Then, without warning, they broke through the atmosphere. Ranma noticed the instant they made it through, the weightless feel surprising and intriguing him. However, before he could find any enjoyment, there was the sound of rushing wind and the gravity was replaced artificially.

The ship angled itself and rocketed forward, the acceleration no longer being felt by its passengers. Ranma never quite got over his fear, but he was able to put it out of his mind for the most part. Three hours later, he felt them burning through another atmosphere, the sound coming in a roar.

They landed and the hatched opened, to which Ryu guided a shaky-legged Ranma to. Outside, Ranma noticed a formal-looking, black haired woman waiting for them.

The woman gave a little bow and smiled, greeting them. "Kotetsu-sama, welcome to my home."

Next to Ranma, Ryu grinned and gave a little wave. "Hey now, no need to be so formal, Mars-chan. We came here for vacation, not business." (4)

Ranma made his presence known, "I've heard much about you and your people, Ame."

The woman turned towards Ranma with a mischievous smile. "Has he? Well then, has he told you about _these_?" Wings burst out of her back.

Ranma actually smirked, wiping off her smug look, "Actually, he hasn't, but I've met a few others who had wings like that. Although, they couldn't put theirs into their skin like you can. Namely, the 'god' Saffron and the people of Mount Phoenix."

Ame's eyes went wide, "How do you know about him? What do you mean god?"

Ryu clapped, gaining both of their attentions, "That is a story for another time. Now Mars-chan, although this isn't for business, I was hoping we could use this experience as a good time to further Ranma's knowledge as my apprentice. Can you please teach him about your people?"

Mars' eyes became even wider, before she grinned, "So you finally took an apprentice? It's about time. As for teaching him, sure I can. Let's go to my home." She led them to another gem powered car and 'drove' them back to her house, if it can be called that.

Ame's house was quite literally a mountain. For the first ten stories, everything was a blank, red sand wall that had a door for people who couldn't fly. Above the ten stories, were balconies that looked to be used for landing if you were flying. As for the shape of the house, it was like a mountain that had a few holes and balconies that perverted its majestic look. It looked to be a total of fifty stories high. Its color was red from the red sand that made up a great part of the planet.

Before entering the palace, Ranma asked, "Why is the ground 'n stuff red?"

Senshi Mars answered without looking at her new charge, "This entire planet is iron-rich. Iron plus water vapors or anything with water equals rust. Rust is red."

Understanding dawned on the boy teachers thought was hopeless, "In other words this entire planet is like a big rust ball?"

Ame smirked, "You could say that." They then entered the home of the Senshi of Mars.

The inside was breath-taking. The main hall was lavishly decorated with drapes, chandeliers, and portraits of past rulers. The ground itself was no longer the rusty packed earth, but a fine, ruby rug that stretched as far as the hall did. As they neared the end, Ranma noticed that the stream of portraits stopped. They entered the main chamber that was also the throne room.

The throne room held two thrones, like in most medieval stories Ranma had heard as a kid. However, the Senshi of Mars sat in the more decorative one that he thought would be for the king. The person who Ranma assumed _was_ the king entered the room and sat in the other throne. The king spoke to the Queen, "Ame-sama, why are these two in our presence?"

"They are here to learn about us and our ways as they stop here for a vacation, Kenichi," came the informal response of Ame with a flick of her hand; she didn't even turn to address him.

Ranma noticed the relationship between them immediately, _He talks to her with respect, while she talks to him like he is a peasant. Is this what this Moon Kingdom is like? If so, this place needs as much reforming as Nemesis._ Ryu noticed Ranma's look but didn't mention anything on it. He instead said, "Ah Kenichi-kun, we certainly haven't spoken in quite a long time. You couldn't have forgotten me already; it's only been seventy years!"

The King's eyes widened, "Ryu-kun, is that really you?"

Ryu grinned, "In the flesh. How've you been holding up?"

"Fairly well since-"

"Ahem! I believe we were talking about what we were going to with Ranma," the queen interrupted forcefully. Ranma took an immediate dislike to her. Her purple eyes regarded the boy. "Ranma, follow the servant to your room and get yourself situated." A man-maid came by, wings out and ready, and began to lead the way for Ranma. He followed him but heard a heated conversation between Ryu and Ame starting before going out of ear-shot. He was taken upstairs to what he guessed to be the fortieth floor.

When Ranma finally made it to his room, he was astonished. "I get to live _here_?" He asked the maid, who chuckled slightly before bidding him goodnight. The room was huge, larger than the master bedroom of his home at Nemesis. It held a bed made for a king that was decorated with many pillows. There was a large dresser aligned with one of the walls and a chair that went with it. There was a door that looked like it held a private bathroom. There was a sofa at the far end of the room, just in front of the large window that gave a view of 'Lower Mars.' Currently, the view was of nighttime, making Ranma realize it was time for bed.

XXXX

The next morning, Ranma woke up in his new room. _I could get used to a place like this._ He had the smell of a fresh breakfast assault his nose and followed it into the kitchen. There he found maids furiously cooking up a storm in the kitchens. He moved on to the dining hall and quietly sat at the table, noticing that everyone else was already sitting down. In around thirty minutes, the maids came in with the food and served it. Ranma ate his the Saotome way, surprising those who have never met him before.

When breakfast was finished, Ryu left to talk with Kenichi and Ranma left with Ame. Ame led him outside. Once there, she turned to him and said, "Alright, the training ground is at the top of my home. Your first task as my student is to get up there." She then had her wings spring out of her back, and she flew up to the top.

Ranma yelled at her from the ground, "How am I supposed to get there! The first ten stories are completely flat so I can't climb that, and I can't jump over that!"

Ame smirked and turned to the other occupant on the roof, "If he is really good enough to become your apprentice, he should be able to get up here on his own."

Ryu, sitting at a private table with the king, nodded to her, "He can be slow sometimes, but when it comes to training he is a genius. Fifty Stardust says he makes it up here in less than an hour (5)."

Ame grinned and set her money on the table, "Done." She set a clock to one hour and sat down with the two.

Ranma frowned, _How does she expect a twelve year old to get up there without flying? Hmm..._ Ranma tried a blunt solution, climbing it. He put his hands on the flat rock and tried to find a grip. He sighed when he noticed he couldn't. He then circled the mountain, trying to find some pathway to the top. He sighed again when he noticed that there wasn't one.

Ame smirked, noticing no progress from Ranma and only thirty minutes left.

Ranma then thought of his second way of getting up, jumping. _Nah, I can barely jump five stories high. Jumping ten stories high is impossible at this age and strength._ Ranma suddenly got a vision of Phoenix Mountain. He grinned at the irony. Remembering how he got to Saffron, he looked around for a person to help him. He grinned when he found a random passerby. "Hey you, Ugly!"

The woman stopped and looked curiously at the rude child yelling at her. Ranma continued, "You're so weak I bet I could beat you in ten seconds in a fight." The woman approached the child, wings threateningly opening. "I bet my _father_ can beat you in a fight." That did it. Being born and raised to believe woman were superior to men, she attacked. Ranma grinned when he felt her hot ki. He began to dance around her wild punches in a whirlpool of hot ki. When he reached the center, he released his cold ki and called out his attack, "_HIRYU SHOTEN HA!"_

The winged woman was launched into the air by a tornado appearing from the ground. She steadied herself with her wings and began to fly home. She thought to herself, _I need a vacation. Like children can make tornadoes._

Ranma himself jumped into the tornado. It launched him into the air before dying out due to lack of hot ki. He easily guided himself to the top of the mountain.

A few seconds earlier, Ame grinned as she looked at the clock and saw time was just about out. She began to reach for the money when she heard a shout, "_HIRYU SHOTEN HA!"_ She then felt a spike of power and whirled around to find... Ranma?

Ryu jumped up. "Yes! I win! Way to go Ranma, you just won me fifty Stardust! I knew you could do it!" Ranma sweat-dropped.

Looking at the Senshi of Mars, Ranma asked, "So... what's next?"

Ame growled, "First, gaki, I'm going to teach you the Martian aerial martial arts as payment for my lost money." Ranma could barely get out a squawk before he was thrown off the roof. Ame jumped off after him.

Ranma looked up in freefall to find a pissed-off, winged Senshi about to attack him. He grinned, "This is my specialty!" They got into a quick combo of attacks. As they reached ground level, Mars pulled up to prevent a harsh landing, while Ranma was'nt so lucky. He hit the ground hard, making a small crater and dust rise. He got a brief flashback of the many times Akane did that to him, _This is oddly familiar. Wait a second... I just fell from a fifty story roof and I hardly felt the landing. That doesn't make any- Aha! I win the battle this time, GRAVITY!_ He finally realized the gravity difference between the planets. He groaned when he came to another realization, _That means I _can _jump to the top of this mountain._ He then surprised Mars by jumping up to her position thirty feet above the ground.

Mars gasped when she noticed Ranma jump up at her. After the quick battle between the two, which ended from gravity making its stand, she asked, "How did you do that?"

Ranma grinned, "Well, the gravity on Nemesis is really strong so it is a lot easier to jump here."

Ame gave a gentle smile, "I see. Well, back to the training!" The two launched back into an aerial battle. She taught him about how to use the winds as helping components, even without wings. She also taught him how to grapple off an opponent to stay up longer.

The two sparred until lunch. After lunch, they went into a library inside the mountain. Ame pulled out a few books and handed them to Ranma, "I want these read by the end of this week."

Ranma's eyes went wide, "But that's three books!"

Ame grinned, "Then you better get started."

XXXX

Ranma spent two years on Mars, learning about the Phoenix people and their customs. He soon became a master of their marital arts and became respected by the general population of the palace, as well as a few of the civilians that met him. While on Mars, he had his curse activated multiple times. He was forced to explain what it was but not how he got it. He left his past a mystery to Ame. In time, he began to forget his grudge against her and replace it with a little bit of love. After those two years, when Ranma was fourteen years old in body and thirty-two in mind, it was time to leave.

"Sayonara, Ame-nee-chan (honorific for big sister). I hope to see you soon," Ranma said as he stood next to Ryu, a transport vessel behind them.

The Senshi of Mars hugged her 'little brother.' When she pulled back, she remembered something that she had been meaning to ask him for some time. "Hey Ranma, you still haven't told me the story of how you met Martians when you've never been here before. Especially Saffron."

Ranma grinned, mischief in his eyes, "That... is a secret!"

Ame hit him in the head before giving him one last hug, "See you when you get back, brat. Have fun on Jupiter."

Ranma and Ryu gave a little wave before boarding the spaceship. They went back in the direction of their home. Ryu explained that he was trying to avoid the anti-men planets of Earth, Venus, and Mercury until later. When they passed the silvery-black planet of Nemesis, Ranma stared out the window at his once home.

XXxx Jupiter xxXX

As Ranma got off the vessel on Jupiter, he stumbled a bit, not used to the change in gravity. When he could finally balance himself, he found Ryu talking to a woman with brown hair dressed in a fuku, like the one Ame had worn when she was transformed into her Senshi form. He approached them.

"No, I am not going to let him learn our martial arts! We take pride in our ability, and we are not going to just let some stranger walk into our home and expect to learn our most prized possession!" the woman yelled at Ryu.

Ryu sighed. "Fine, Ayame-chan, but you better give something to make up for it."

After thinking about it, the woman now know as Ayame said, "Alright, I'll teach him about metal working. He can forge his own weapons and use the fabled metal from your home planet."

Noticing the happy look on Ryu's face and remembering what Fugao had taught him of Jupiternian craftsmanship, Ranma figured that it would be a good thing. He decided to introduce himself, "Hi there. I'm Saotome Ranma of the Anything Goes Martial Arts."

Ayame shrugged. "Yeah, yeah. Let's get a move on." She began to walk towards what Ranma thought was a tunnel.

There was a hole in the ground that was about twenty feet across. It had a stair case that led into the darkness. Ayame casually began to lead the trio down it. When Ranma's eyes began to adjust to the lack of light, he noticed they were approaching a large door - at least fifteen feet tall and made of solid, embossed metal. Ayame knocked hard on it three times which cued something to open it. With a great rumble but surprisingly no groans, the massive doorway split open. What was revealed to Ranma left him breathless.

Inside was an underground city, as seen from a balcony behind the door. It went down at least 1000 feet from his current position, and the ceiling was still another 200 feet above. They walked further out onto what Ranma thought was the balcony. To his surprise and amazement, it turned out to be a free-suspending platform that floated in the air.

The platform moved and took them to another tunnel that was down about 500 feet. Ranma studied the people who lived down there. Many were pushing or pulling carts that were full of gravel and coal. About half the people Ranma saw were doing it, and he noticed with great displeasure that it was only men. For the women, they were walking around place to place doing normal jobs.

With what would have to be half the population mining and transporting minerals, Ranma asked Ayame, "Why are there so many miners?"

The Senshi of Jupiter spoke in an off-hand voice, "We are an industrial nation. We have the men, who are inferior in all but muscle, mine up the materials we need while we have the more useful craftswomen turn the material into something worthwhile. We are the major trading nation of the Moon Kingdom."

Ranma noticed the obvious jab at his place in society and was angered. _This is worse than Mars. _He took a step forward and yelled at her, "Why the hell do you treat men like that! They aren't 'inferior' or even stupider. They lack a proper education and deserve to be treated like _equals_."

Ryu put a calming hand on Ranma's shoulders and held him back. Ayame huffed and walked away, into the tunnel they were now at. Ryu spoke to Ranma in a sharp voice, "Ranma! You _will_ treat her will with respect. You are her guest and will act like one!"

"But-"

"No buts, Ranma! Now, start following her."

Ranma looked down angrily. He muttered, "What is with this world? Where did it all go wrong? One planet, women are dirt. The next, it's the same for men. Someone needs to come by and slap some sense into everyone here."

Senshi Nemesis' voice softened as he walked next to his apprentice. "I know, but now is not the time. You are just going to need to suck it up until we leave this place."

Ranma grumbled and continued following Ayame. They reached another door and found her waiting impatiently for them. Once there, she opened the door and walked inside.

Ranma was once again surprised upon entering. Inside this door was a very fancy interior of a house, and judging by the size of just this room, it was huge.

The walls were made of stone, but that was to be expected seeing how they were underground. The ground itself was marble. The lighting for the room was, surprisingly, crystals that were glowing. There were various furniture that looked comfortable. Elaborate paintings on the walls portrayed certain gizmos, crafted weapons, and strangely lightning storms.

Noticing Ranma looking at the paintings, Jupiter said, "I see you've noticed my paintings."

Trying to be polite, Ranma said, "They are very good."

Ayame smirked. "They are of things I've made."

Ranma gasped and looked at her, realizing what that meant. "You can make lightning storms?"

"Yes, I can. It's my ability as a Senshi. For now, it's late and I am going to retire to my bedroom. You will find your quarters up the stairs, down the hall, and the last door on your left. Nemesis, you know where your room is." She then left upstairs. Ryu gave a brief wave before also walking upstairs.

Ranma followed her directions and found a relevantly small room. There was a small sheet that almost resembled a futon as a bed. There was a blanket on top of that. Besides that, the room was just a dresser and a little bit of extra space. After living on dirt for ten years in his old life and eight years in his new one with Ryu, he didn't mind sleeping like that. He climbed into bed and awaited the next day.

XXXX

Ranma woke up the next day to someone kicking him. He groaned and looked to find Ryu. The Nemesisian Senshi spoke, "Get up! You already missed breakfast and now it's time for your classes."

Ranma was up in an instant. "No way in hell did I miss breakfast!" He zoomed down stairs in hope of finding a meal. He was disappointed. He did, however, find a bored looking Ayame waiting for him. That doubled his disappointment.

She said to him, "Alright Ranma, I'm going to start our lessons with blacksmithing." With a casual flick of her hand, she led him out of the 'house' and into the main city part of Jupiter. They took the platform to the very bottom of the hole.

At the bottom, there was a long hall that branched into countless more. At segments within the halls were repeated batches of equipment Ranma guessed was for blacksmithing. There were also men pulling carts full of necessary material into there, dumping them, and making their way back up.

When they got off the platform, Ranma found all the metal workers, who were female, looking at him with a mix of curiosity and poorly disguised loathing. He meekly waved to them before turning his attention to Ayame, who spoke to the onlookers, "Ladies, I have agreed to teach this _man_-" Ranma cringed at the way she said that "-how to metal work. You _will_ speak to him the same way you speak to me. If I find anyone violating this rule, I will sentence you to pulling carts with the men." Ranma noticed how the women grew fearful.

Ayame turned to Ranma, and the women went back to work. "Alright, the first thing you need to know about blacksmithing is the names of the tools you are going to use." She pointed to a blunt metal object that a woman was pounding a sword on, "That is called an anvil. You use it to pound heated metal into flat objects. You can also use the sides of it to make bends in whatever you are making." She continued her tour and Ranma soaked up all information like a sponge.

At what Ranma assumed was nightfall, they took a break and returned to Ayame's home. When he entered, he found Ryu talking in an oval-shaped crystal that almost resembled a cell phone.

When Ryu finished his call, he pulled Ranma into another room to speak to him. "Alright Ranma, there is something I forgot to explain yesterday. I am sure that, by now, you've noticed how sexist everyone here is." He saw Ranma nod and continued, "Well, this is your second introduction into the Moon Kingdom. Mars _is_ a female-dominant planet, but they are semi-neutral about it. Here, they are sexist. I felt that we should skip Earth, Venus, and Mercury because they are completely anti-men. They would have torn you up and spat you out. I know that you aren't ready for them yet, and I hope to keep you away for as long as possible."

Ranma gave a blank nod of understanding, "What about the other planets?"

"Well Saturn is about neutral to everything. They treat each other as equals, and I'm taking you there next. As for Uranus and Neptune, well... It's best not to talk about them. Pluto is a place I hope you never have to go. They all take everything too seriously and a single word against the queen results in death. They are very arrogant, stuck-up people, but they are the most loyal people to the queen out of all the planets. Now, I feel it's best if we go to bed." Ryu yawned for emphasis and walked upstairs, purposely or unintentionally leaving before Ranma could muster a response.

Ranma thought a little bit about everything he heard before also going upstairs. He crawled into his futon and reflected that day's events. Sleep gently took his conscious and he left to the land of dreams.

XXXX

The next morning, Ranma was up in time for breakfast. After that, he was taken down to the mines by Ayame.

Ranma observed the living conditions of the mine. He could hear explosions that sounded like something familiar going on from place to place. The ceiling was only about a meter off the ground, forcing him to slouch in order to walk. He could smell something unusual in the air, but he couldn't place it. The tunnel he was in expanded into a maze that he quickly got lost in. He saw Ayame stop at a dead-end. She turned to him, "Alright, I'm going to _show_, not teach, you how we mine things. Behold the mighty power of Jupiter! _BAKUSAI TENKETSU!_"

Ranma did a dead stop when he heard her attack. True to his suspicions, the boulder exploded right when she tapped it. Breaking her feeling of greatness, he laughed and said, "So that's where that move came from!"

Ayame gasped, fear clenching her. In horror, she asked, "You have seen this before? Where? Who? When? Do _you_ know it?"

Ranma held his hands up, "Whoa! One question at a time, please. Yes, I have seen this before. On Earth. My rival and best friend Ryoga. Can't tell you. No." He paused, thinking his answer through, "Did I miss anything?"

Ayame was too stunned to answer. That was Jupiter's most prized technique. Hidden for centuries. It was turned into a simple trick to a _boy_ who was only fourteen. She gave an exasperated and depressed sigh before saying, "Alright, let's get back to the forge." She slowly walked out of the tunnel and onto the platform that led them to the bottom once again.

XXXX

And so another two years went by. Ranma had to pull carts with the men some days to increase his endurance, while on others, he slowly mastered the art of metal working. He managed to craft a variety of weapons before it was time for his final test. He also learned about why the people chose to live underground.

"Okay Ranma, you have done fairly well over the last two years. Now is the time to prove that you are worthy to call yourself my apprentice and later master blacksmith," Ayame spoke in a commanding tone. She had developed somewhat of a bond with the now sixteen year old boy. The main problem with that bond, however, was that she couldn't get over her problems with 'inferior boys' and refused to accept him as worthy.

Ranma's eyes held determination that burned like the flames that heated the forge. He spoke confidently, "I ready, Sensei."

"I want you to make a cannon. One foot wide, two feet long, one foot tall. The barrel needs to be two and ½ feet long. The wheels shall be made of metal and need to roll. For firing, it needs to be spring powered. You also need to make cannonballs that are light enough to be shot. Build this by the end of the week and you pass. Ready... Go!"

Ranma quickly pulled out a yard stick and measured the angles of what was needed on the mold. He used his scythe to cut along the marks of the mold into desired shapes. There were six shapes in all: barrel, spring, wheel, axle, side, and cannonball. By the end of the day, he had it down.

On day two of seven, he started his first set of axels, wheels, cannonballs, and sides. He had problems with the axel as it was a thin, circular shape on weak metal. After rigorous tampering, he finally got it stabilized. However, he spent too much time on that and had to retire back to the house to sleep.

On day three of seven, he started on the second set. Using the method he used yesterday on the axel, he was able to get those finished by the time lunch started. He also made his spring. He went to the lunch tables that were 200 feet above bottom level of the city.

While Ranma was there, he met Yuka again, unfortunately. She sneered at him as she sat down at his table, "So Ranma-_kun_, are you enjoying playing with the women?" She left her lunch in front of her uneaten.

Ranma took a gulp of whatever was in his mouth before speaking, "You could say that, Yuka-_chan_." Said girl growled at the nickname.

Yuka stood at a height just under Ranma, with a slender figure. She had long chocolate brown hair that was often caked in dirt due to getting sent to the mines so often for 'bad behavior'. She didn't care much, she told most people. Although for Ranma, he could see that she was upset on being publicly humiliated so often. Her eyes were an amethyst purple, shining like the precious stone itself. She wasn't over developed, if you didn't count her ego. All-in-all, she was desirable, but her personality made her an unlikely bachelorette.

She huffed at him, "Whatever; you're never going to pass this test."

Ranma, finished with his food, began to eat some of hers at Amaguriken speed, unnoticed by her untrained eyes. He spoke, "Thanks for the inspiration. Any other reason you're here? Cause this kinda counts as an unofficial date." Ranma knew that would set her off. She growled and he left before she did anything.

Yuka grumbled a bit, "Damn that Ranma. Why the hell can't I have a normal conversation with him? Idiot! Idiot! Idiot!" She finally turned to her lunch, "GOD DAMMIT RANMA! I'LL GET YOU FOR THIS!" Ranma grinned slightly from the platform he was currently riding on.

Before the day was over, he welded the two sides together with two axels and screwed the two wheels into place.

On day four of seven, he made a third axel and third and fourth wheel. He also started the barrel, getting the huge chunk of metal out of the mold. He drilled a hole through the near back of it. He attached the third wheel on it.

On day five of seven, he began to drill the hole down the chunk of metal so that he could make it into a barrel. When he was finished, he welded the spring at the back. He then stuck the third axel through the previous hole and attached it onto the cart. He figured he did well and went to bed.

On day six of seven, Ranma tested it. The wheels functioned properly. When he placed the cannonball in, he realized it wouldn't fire. He quickly cut a slit about four inches above where the spring was in the barrel. He crafted a metal plate that would fit into the new slit. He made a long pole that was about four feet long as well. After a little bit of tinkering, he managed to make a cannonball that was light enough to fire and strong enough not to break or shatter. He hoped for the best before falling asleep.

On day seven of seven, Ayame tested it. When she found it, she grew a bewildered expression and asked, "Um, how exactly did you plan on making this work?"

Ranma gave a triumphant grin and worked as he spoke, "First, you put the cannon ball into the barrel. Then, you take this pole to push it back. While you're keeping pressure, you hold the ball back by sliding this plate in front of it. You place the plate it the slit. Then you pull the pole out and remove the plate when you want it to fire."

Ayame aimed the barrel to where she though no people were and pulled out the plate. Sure enough, the ball shot out and launched a good distance. She gave a genuine smile to Ranma, "Good job, gaki. Now you can brag to everyone that you studied under the great-" She was interpreted by a loud crash.

Yuka was once again on cart duty. She was halfway down the hill went she heard a whizzing sound. She turned just in time to see a cannonball about to hit her. She ducked and shouted, "What the hell!" However, her ducking caused her to let go of the cart. It zoomed down the hill and off the edge. She cringed and watched helplessly as it plummeted down into the hole.

Ranma blinked at the cart that fell two feet away from him. A large piece of coal then hit his face. He groaned from the ground and got back up, completely unharmed. Ayame yelled at the person who dropped it, "You! In my office, now!" A bummed and slightly scared Yuka treaded along towards the office.

Ranma, noticing he was alone, walked back to the lunch tables and ordered food. As he sat down, he heard noise from the office. "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN IT JUST SLIPPED?" There was a pause before "I DON'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT CANNONBALLS! YOU ALMOST KILLED MY APPRENTICE!" Another pause before a terrified Yuka left the building. She walked up to Ranma with her head down and muttered, "Sorry." She then scuttled away, vanishing into a tunnel.

Senshi Nemesis, in one of the rare occasions of actually showing up, sat down next to Ranma, "I heard you passed." Ranma nodded, his mouth full of food. "And I heard you almost took a 500 pound cart to the face." Ranma flushed and nodded once again. "Man, that would have been hilarious."

Ranma got the decency to swallow before yelling, "What do ya mean hilarious? I coulda died back there!"

That seemed to be funny to the male Senshi, "Ahahahaha! You – ahahaha – die – ahaha - by cart!" He fell into full blown laughter.

Ranma's anger got the better of him and he yelled, "What the hell is so funny?" Still in a fit of giggles, Ryu decided to show instead of tell.

He pulled Ranma to the edge of the lunch table area. Below him was a 200 foot drop that didn't look pleasant. Ryu pushed him off before jumping after him. Ranma screamed at Ryu on the way down, "YOU CRAZY OLD GOAT! THIS IS A 200 FOOT DRO- UMPH!" He hit the ground.

Ryu landed on his feet next to him. He was still restraining himself from laughing and he managed to get out, "Get up, fool. That didn't hurt."

Ranma miraculously got up and asked the burning question, "Why did I not die?"

Ryu smiled, "Born and raised on Nemesis. The gravity pull there changed our very DNA and phenotypes. Instead of gaining bulky muscles like everyone else does when they do high weight training, our muscles condensed and thickened. They grew denser and increased their dividing rate. By evolution, our bodies adapted to the environment. We were like supermen at birth. Even though we left Nemesis and her… its gravity, our muscles won't shrink like normal peoples. Sure, we will lose a little, but by DNA alone we will remain strong."

Ranma sat there, wide eyed, "I knew that high gravity helped with my training, but I didn't know it helped out this much!" He thought to himself, _Muahaha gravity, I shall defeat you... someday._

Ryu gave a nod before getting up, "Ranma, it's that time again. Time to move on to newer and better things."

"In the form of?"

"Saturn. It's time you learned about what it means to be a soldier."

XXxx Saturn xxXX

Sixteen year old Ranma, thirty-four in mind, eagerly got off the transport ship. However, his hop ended with him face first in the ground. He muttered to himself, "You may have won the battle this time, gravity, but you have not won the war!" He heard a childish giggle and looked up. He found a roughly fifteen year old girl.

The girl had a purple gown on, one fit for a princess. She had a shy look on her face and looked nervous, even with a small smile. She had medium length black hair than sheened purple and violet eyes.

Ranma stood up, "Heh, sorry about that. The gravity here is almost as much as Nemesis's. The name's Ranma. What's yours?"

The shy looking girl meekly answered, "Hotaru."

Ryu chose that moment to enter the scene, "Yo, Hotaru! Where is Saturn-chan?"

A saddened look crossed her face, and she looked down. "Dead."

Ryu's smile dropped. His face became serious, "How?"

Hotaru looked up, revealing tears in her eyes, "There wa-was another re-revolt. This time... sh-she chose to not attack them!" Ranma, with crying girls being his weakness, rushed up and hugged her. Hotaru cried into his shoulder. However, her story didn't end there. She looked up and said, "N-now they are going to kill me!"

Ranma wiped the tears from her eyes, "It's okay, Hotaru-chan. I'll protect you, I promise. Now, let's go inside and talk about this." Ranma picked up the distressed girl and carried her inside. It was a nice act of kindness that had nothing to do with Ranma _intentionally_ leaving all the bags for Ryu.

Ryu entered the palace to find the princess sleeping on a sofa. Ranma was sitting in a chair across from her with a contemplative look on his face. Ryu smirked, "So you _can_ think. What a surprise."

Ranma looked up at his sensei, a serious look on his face, "Now is not the time. She said that there was _another_ revolt. I thought all planets idolized their Senshi. I want answers, _now_!" His voice left no room for argument.

Ryu set the bags down and sat next to Ranma. He studied Hotaru's face as he spoke, "It's not my place to answer that. Now, what you are going to see and do on this planet is going to be important. I feel you are old enough for your first kill."

Ranma's face darkened, "I already killed."

"A Phoenix can't die Ranma, you know that."

"Doesn't change the fact that I killed a living thing."

"Ranma!" Ryu spoke sharply, gaining Ranma's full attention. "Not all life is precious. Some things _need_ to die. Some people, if left alive, will slaughter others mercilessly."

Ranma, still with the dark look, argued, "That doesn't make killing good."

"I never said it was. Those who feel killing is good are the ones that need to die. Feeling guilt after killing someone is a _humane_ trait. If you don't feel guilt it means that you no longer have your humanity."

Ranma didn't have to answer as Hotaru woke up. "What time is it?" she asked quietly.

"Time for you to return to bed, Hotaru-chan. We'll talk in the morning," came Ryu's more gentle voice. Ranma walked her to her room and returned. "Watch over her, it is not safe here, and you made a promise."

"And I don't go back on my word," Ranma intoned. "Goodnight then." With that, a slightly more cheery Ranma went back to Hotaru's room. Once there, he looked for a place to rest.

Hotaru's room was relevantly plain for a normal princess' room. The walls were plain and purple. The size of the room was about ten meters across. The only things in there were a bed, a dresser, a chair, window, a wicked looking glaive, and a small table. Ranma looked at the glaive and grinned. As he was about to lift it for a comparison with his scythe, Hotaru's soft voice rang out, "Don't touch it! If you do, you will be badly hurt."

Ranma pulled back his hand and nervously grinned at her, "Ah... thanks." He saw her go back to sleep, and waited for her breathing to become a steady rhythm. Once it was, Ranma was once again looking for a place to wait and watch over her. He finally settled for the chair and sat there. That night, Ranma chose to sleep two hours before sun-rise.

XXXX

Ranma woke up the next morning to find his charge's bed empty. He got up and began to look for her throughout the palace. The first thing he noticed while walking was that the whole palace seemed to have a theme of purple. He then saw how wide and long the hallways were. They had a futuristic medieval look to them. They had the old looking candles on the walls to keep the place lit, but the wax didn't seem to melt from them. The walls also had the security stripe on them.

The security stripe was a blue line that was about three centimeters thick. They stretched along each wall of every room. What they did was record a video of any movement near them. If signs of hostility were shown, the stripes would activate the security system that pretty much obliterated any threat. One of Ranma's 'training missions' was to walk through an enemy's house that had one of these. It took three hours, a broken arm, a burn, and a female Ranma to escape a small house. It was an experience he never wanted to go through again.

After a few minutes of walking, Ranma finally entered what could be called the throne room. However, he noticed only one throne. There was a dark purple rug that stretched from the throne to the outside. Ranma followed it into a courtyard. He heard sounds of battle and rushed to the left side of the house. Once there, he found Hotaru, in a Senshi uniform, fighting six computer-generated opponents.

Ranma watched the fight in interest. _Those targets look to be relevantly skilled. The way Hotaru moves, however, shows her power but also shows that she lacks skill._ When all six were destroyed, Ranma clapped for her, signaling his presence. Hotaru spun around with a horrified look and shouted, "Silence Glaive Surprise!" before looking at who it was.

Ranma didn't have time to dodge the incoming attack. Praying to what ever god existed that this didn't kill the girl, he killed off his emotions and shouted, "_MOKO TAKABISHA REVISED, apathetic edition_." The improved attack crashed into Hotaru's Senshi one. To Ranma's surprise and slight relief, Hotaru's attack broke through his. It died out only inches away from hitting him. "Wow, you pack quite the punch."

Hotaru grew a guilty look on her face as she said, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. I'm just so used to people constantly attacking me that I get a little jumpy." She paused, before asking him, "How did you stop my attack? Saturn's powers are uncontrollably strong, only a powerful Senshi attack should be able to stop that."

Ranma, a little embarrassed on being compared to a Senshi power-wise, said, "Well I learned how to do energy blast like that a while back. I was also taught on how to remove emotions from it to make it stronger. I also put most of my energy into that attack… and I think I'm going to need to sit down." Hotaru noticed that Ranma was slouching a bit and looked exhausted.

"Just your energy can stop Saturn's? That's incredible!" Hotaru exclaimed.

"Incredible, indeed. It's one of the reasons I chose him to be my apprentice," came a voice to their left. They looked and found Ryu sitting in one of the various trees in the courtyard, watching them lazily.

"Sensei, what brings you here?" asked Ranma.

"Well, I came here to inform you that I've enrolled you into the school here. Without Saturn-chan here to teach you, you need to learn the hard way."

Ranma's face turned sour, "But I don't wanna go to school!" Hotaru giggled at his childish attitude. "Can't Hotaru-chan here explain it to me?" Hotaru blushed at the nickname.

"She can teach you some, but she is still going to school herself. You'll need to go with her. Besides, this gives me time to visit Pluto-san."

Ranma noticed the lack of casualty in the male Senshi's voice, "This Pluto, why are you always so, you know, serious with her?"

Ryu grinned. "Because when she was born someone stuck a seed up her ass that grew into a tree."

Ranma sweat-dropped, "You said she can see almost anything with her Time Gates. Can't she hear you right now?"

"Probably not. I have a hunch that I'm _pretty _sure is right. Alright well, see you later!" With that, he vanished into his shadow, presumably to visit this Pluto person.

Ranma turned back to Hotaru, "So... where is this school of yours?"

XXXX

For three years Ranma went to school with Hotaru. For three years they never saw Senshi Nemesis. At the end of the three years, everything changed.

"So Hotaru-chan, Kisame-sensei said that when the Senshi were formed, they had their normal ki sealed and had the planets' forced into them. I don't really understand that," exclaimed a now nineteen year old Ranma. He was currently walking with an eighteen year old, more mature looking Hotaru back to the palace.

A more confident looking and sounding Hotaru explained, "Ok, each planet _chooses_ their own Senshi. After the first ones, the planets generally accept the current Senshi's apprentice as the next one. During the 'Senshization Process,' it's like a whole different thing's ki enters your body. For me, it felt like my soul was ripped out and replaced with a stronger one. This foreign ki is the planet's that chose you. I was later taught how to 'retrieve' my ki, or detransform. To get back into our Senshi form, we use a medium to help transform. They gave me a rod that I lost some time ago, but I use my glaive as mine now."

"I think I get it, but I still don't understand how- murbph!" A water line from some random place broke and splashed Ranma.

Hotaru giggled, "Well _Ranko_, it seems like you just need to study." Ranma grumbled at the nickname but continued walking. Because of their talking, they didn't notice that they made a few wrong turns and ended up in what could be called the 'wrong side of town.'

The people there glared at Hotaru. Ranma noticed her tense. She then looked around and saw the dirty looks and returned them. She protectively put her arm around Hotaru and led back towards the direction of the palace. Once at a safe distance, Ranma asked, "What was that all about?"

Hotaru stayed silent for a little bit before saying, "Remember how we agreed not to talk about our pasts yet?" Without waiting for an answer, she continued, "This is one of those times." They stayed silent for the rest of the walk. About halfway back, Ranma noticed her arm was still around Hotaru. She blushed slightly and removed it. Hotaru felt a little saddened by the lost feeling of warmth and comfort, before dismissing it. Neither of them noticed that they were being followed.

When they finally got back, they noticed it was late and retired for bed. Hotaru took the bed and Ranma took his place on the ceiling. Ranma couldn't actually levitate, he was still working on that, but he had placed two bars up there long ago to hold onto. He still kept his promise of watching over her and figured that was the best place to do so. Also, in the daytime, he used them as chin-up bars. So far, there had been no problems with assassins. This night, however, was about to change that.

XXXX

Ranma peered at Hotaru's face. He acknowledged how elegant she looked, even in her sleep, before realizing he was staring and looked away. He noticed that the two shared a deep bond of friendship, but he refused to acknowledge that it could be more. As he looked away, he noticed a shadow enter the room.

Ranma's face hardened as he remembered some things: Hotaru's face as she cried about how people were coming to kill her; the glares of the people as they entered the outside town; and most of all, his promise to protect her. He studied the approaching figure.

It looked to resemble a human. It was dressed in all black clothes but had some sort of machine or magic that made it hard to focus on details. When the figure silently drew a long blade from its clothing, Ranma decided it was time for action. He drew his weapon and silently dropped to the floor behind the person. Ranma's weapon was an unusual in itself - black bladed scythe.

The figure drew its hand up to deliver the killing blow to the sleeping girl before feeling blinding pain in its left cheek as something slammed into it. The figure flew into the wall.

Hotaru was up in an instant. She noticed two things: Ranma with his scythe drawn and a figure embedded in the wall. She grabbed her glaive and stood next to Ranma, providing backup if needed.

Ranma spoke, "Who are you, and why are you after Hotaru-chan?"

The figure got up and into a stance, "My name isn't for you to know, and my business is my own."

"Your name _is_ for me to know and your business now involves me. Answer the question if you want to see your family and friends again." Ranma tensed, sensing the figure would strike soon.

True to his feeling, the figure charged Ranma and attacked with a simple low strike. Ranma parried and repeated the question. The figure spun around and attacked with a high strike. At last second, right when Ranma was about to parry, the strike turned out to be a feint and Ranma was hit in the chest by a fist. "Ranma!" Hotaru called out, worried for Ranma's safety.

Ranma grinned from his place in the wall, "So the mute can play rough." Ranma charged in and began the offensive.

The man quickly became worried from the onslaught. This body guard was fast and easily outmatched him. He decided to use a few of the cards up his sleeves. "_Dance of the Crescent Moon_!" The man used quick speed to move from right to left, slightly confusing Ranma as the tech or magic he used to disguise his features also blurred his form. Suddenly, the man vanished altogether.

"Not this again..." Ranma muttered. Wondering if the name had anything to do with the attack, he looked out towards the moons of Saturn and found the man on the window.

The man sighed, "This works much better outside..." He then propelled himself from the window toward Ranma. Ranma easily parried and got a deep slice across the man's back. The slice severed part of the spinal cord near the base of the neck. To Ranma's surprise, the man got up. "Heh! You cannot defeat me, mortal." _Where have I heard that before?_ Ranma asked himself, before shrugging. The man, in a last ditch attempt, grabbed Hotaru and put his blade up to her neck, "Stand down or she dies!"

Ranma smirked, "Even if I stand down, won't you still kill her, seeing as to how you were trying to do that when you got here?"

The man sweat-dropped, "Uh... Good point. Either way, stand down!"

Ranma shrugged, "Meh. Oh and by the way, Hotaru-chan isn't exactly 'damsel in distress' material."

"Wha-" he was cut off as he felt a piercing pain in his foot. He looked down to find the glaive impaled there. He shoved Hotaru away and slightly nicked her in the neck with his sword. Judging by the steady stream of blood, he must have hit the jugular.

Ranma, in a fit of sudden rage, charged in and slammed a fist at full strength in the man's solar-plexus. Feeling the satisfying crunch, he turned away to check on Hotaru. When he kneeled down to check on her, he found her neck to be flawlessly healed. She was also unconscious.

He whirled back to the man, and he found blood dripping down the man's lips with him sagged against the wall. He looked ready to die. Ranma spat at him, "Answer the question, and I'll think of letting you live!"

The man weakly grinned defiantly at him. "If you let me live I'll come after her again and again until I _kill_ her for real." Ranma growled and finished him off with his scythe.

"Scum." Before Ranma could even think of remorse, he checked back on Hotaru. He found her to be perfectly okay except for some drying blood on her neck and the fact that she's still unconscious. He placed her back in her bed and left to dispose of the corpse.

XXXX

The next morning, Hotaru woke up to find a grim looking Ranma in the chair. Without acknowledging her, he muttered, "I think we need to talk, _now_."

"An excellent idea, _Ranma-kun_," came a mysterious voice from the door.

They both turned to it and found a green haired, red eyed woman standing there. Her hair was long and her eyes held a sharp, predatory glean. She was in a sailor fuku and holding a staff in the shape of a giant key. Her entire posture seemed to scream 'ass-kicker.'

"You must be Pluto."

* * *

_(1) The words they speak are Japanese in this story. However, as you will find out later, there are some differences._

_(2) In Japanese, there is no 'th' sound. There is also no v, x, or l._

_(3) This DOES NOT mean that option 1 won the poll. This idea was already decided. He is going to be stronger than before. And Ranma is now going to be entering a battle between gravity that is only there for humor purposes. Gravity will at some times be personified._

_(4) This is the end of what was rewritten. After that is the (very) old, original chapter. (Rewrite ended at 6-23-09)_

_(5) Stardust is an imaginary currency of the Moon Kingdom. Its value shall be relevantly the same as US currency._

* * *

There you have it, 14,000 words to make up for my mini chapter.

Churro: ...

Sub-Zero879: Anyone home?

Churro: ...

Sub-Zero879: Come on, it's only a little bit longer.

Churro: ...

Sub-Zero879: Okay man, you're tripping out on me.

Churro: ... You can die and burn in hell.

Sub-Zero879: Already there... already there... (Edit 6-25-09: 25,000 words)

* * *

**ANOUNCMENTS:**

_For the poll:_

(1) 10

(1.5) 1

(2) 3

(3) 2

(4) 2

Option one is the winner, try again next time.

_New Poll: _for Pluto:

(1) The Pluto that is talking to Ranma is the one before Setsuna. She dies and a distressed Setsuna takes her place. This starts the bond between her and Ranma.

(2) The Pluto that is talking to Ranma is Setsuna. I need to find a fitting way for Ranma to weed his way into her heart.

* * *

_KACHU TENSHIN AMAGURIKEN_

_HIRYU SHOTEN HA_

_BAKUSAI TENKETSU_

_MOKO TAKABISHA_

_SHADOW DANCE_

_SHADOW DRAGON_

_SILENT GLAIVE SURPRISE_


	3. The Breaking

Reviews:

**How can Earth be anti-men? Impossible!** _Um... call it AU?_

**Are you a noob who has never even read/watched Sailor Moon before?** _Yes, I am. I thought it was obvious when I asked for the names/attacks of each Senshi. I saw the show once, maybe twice, when I was in like first grade. All I remember is some blond chick with a crazy hair style. My knowledge, if you can call it that, of Sailor Moon comes from reading other stories and now Wikipedia._

**Why did Ranma's new family accept him so fast?** _Well, when you're a parent and you have a baby (I'm not one, but work with me here), you usually accept it, flawed or not, like those, sorry for putting it bluntly, mentally retarded people. Their parents still love them. Even if Ranma isn't their child mentally, he is theirs physically. It's sort of like adopting a child. Sorry if it's still confusing._

**Rewrite (6-29-09):** This wasn't exactly a rewrite. Despite the reviews stating a confusion in the timeline of events, I couldn't really find anything too severe. I added dividers between time gaps and dreams, which I think will really help. Also, I rewrote a few paragraphs that seemed to jump around too much, somewhat clarifying them.

* * *

Nemesis ½: Banishment - The Breaking

* * *

The mysterious woman gave off a smirk, "You're as sharp as Nemesis-kun said you were, Ranma." Ranma took a protective step in front of Hotaru's bed and fixed an untrusting gaze at the newcomer. "But are you as skilled?"

The arrogant Ranma took its place as he answered, "Of course I am." He didn't know what Ryu had told her about his strength, but he'd be damned if he let some cocky woman hurt his pride.

Pluto gave a sly smiled to Ranma, like she was hoping he would say that, "Prove it." Before Ranma could say anything, she continued, "Outside, now." Without waiting for an answer, she slipped outside the door.

Ranma hesitated. He didn't want to fight right now. He had just used his arts, the one thing he was most passionate about, to end a life. It made him sick, roiling inside him like a terrible beast. He had felt the same upon killing Saffron, yet this time the slain wasn't going to get back up. The guilt of ending another life deterred his usual passion for fighting. Hell, he couldn't even sleep after the episode, so shaken was he. He knew he shouldn't go, to stay here and work out his problems with the help of Hotaru, the death of the newcomer still fresh in his mind. He gave a look at Hotaru that clearly stated 'help me, please.'

Before she could say anything, Pluto's voice rang out, "Unless you're afraid to fight a girl." Ranma lost all hesitation as his pride took over, and he marched out the door after grabbing his scythe. The feeling that this could be a mistake was ruthlessly crushed beneath his resolve.

Hotaru cursed. She knew that Ranma shouldn't do anything rash right now. A fight might bring out something... bad. She got up and grabbed her glaive - one could never be too careful. At the door she paused. _On the other hand, maybe he could use this as a way to vent off anything that he built up inside._ With a stronger mindset, she followed the pair.

Ranma jogged after Pluto until he could see her again. He followed her into the main chamber then out the front door. After being hit by the dull sunlight of the star that was so far away, his eyes caught hold of the new mound of dirt that was in the courtyard. An inward battle raged within him. The man who Ranma killed wasn't exactly all human.

After dragging the body outside the previous night, he had been able to get a clear view of the damaged spine. It had been made entirely of metal. Instead of nerves, it had wires. The wire that had served as the spinal cord, however, had actually repaired itself by the time Ranma checked it out. Ranma had performed a crude autopsy and found, to his interest and disgust, that the man had all of his bones revised as metal copies and all his nerves as organic wires. Everything else was purely human though.

A polite cough took Ranma out of his musings of the half human. He focused his attention on the waiting Senshi and found that she had led him to the training grounds. The already transformed Senshi took a unique stance and held her giant key like a weapon. Ranma moved his scythe in front of him in a staff-like stance. He crouched low and stood at the defensive.

Hotaru entered the scene and found the two ready to start. Although worried, she was curious as to how he would hold up. She had only seen him fight in the duels the two took a part in as she trained him in using polearms. After an inclination from her fellow Senshi, she hit the 'Artificial Terrain' button on the training machine.

The match began as soon as the ground turned into rocky dirt. Ranma held tight control of himself and patiently waited in his defensive stance. Pluto, without a moment's hesitation, did the first attack. "Dead Scream," she whispered gently.

Ranma barely caught the words before the attack was on him. He stepped to the side casually and returned into his stance. Pluto then charged in for a melee confrontation.

The Senshi-in-training stood calmly as he watched her approach. Her steady pace brought up a light trail of dust behind her. Senshi Pluto began with an overhead strike that Ranma blocked with ease. She slid back quickly and did a full spin to her right and came in with a middle sweeping strike. Ranma briefly turned to his right to parry. He saw he reverse her spin to the other side quickly and do the same thing. _She's testing me. I'll follow along lightly and get a clean strike in after she lets her guard down._

Pluto did a sweep with her legs which Ranma hopped over. His hop involved jumping over her, and he did his first offensive attack. Using the butt of his weapon, he tapped the back of her head. Pluto spun around and muttered, "Dead Scream." Ranma was forced to do a quick back-flip. On his journey down, he found her about to strike his landing point.

Ranma grinned slightly as he used part of his lesson from Mars. He spun his body in an almost impossible way and ended up doing a handstand on the key. He then used her mild surprise and held a hand in front of her face, "MOKO TAKABISHA!" The attack hit her square in the head and sent her back a few feet. In her brief flight before hitting the ground, Pluto thought to herself, _The gloves are off._

Ranma was about to charge once again when the image of the cyber man he fought earlier flashed into his head. Dark thoughts filled his mind, and he faltered slightly. That was all Pluto needed as she got a strike into his chest, already recovered from his attack.

Ranma was forced out of his mind as he felt an impact on his side. He flew to the right a few feet before righting himself. He shook his head, trying to clear the last of the dark feelings, but it proved to be futile. He was then hit across the face by the key. Although both attacks hadn't hurt him, they got him frustrated and angry. He needed a moment to get his thoughts straight, and she was giving him none. He got up and was about to say something when the key was thrust into his solar plexus. The air escaped his lungs, and he wasn't able to say anything.

Ranma grew even angrier. When he got up, more dark thoughts filled his mind, and he lost focus on the battle. Another attack sent him spiraling to the left and into the ground. He then felt what he thought to be a 'Dead Scream' hit him. From there, the conscious world abandoned him completely as the events of the night haunted him.

XXXX

"_I'll come after her again until I kill her for real."_

_Ranma looked around the dark fog, trying to locate the voice, "What is your name?"_

"_My name isn't for you to know."_

"_Why did you attack Hotaru-chan?" He called out, still searching for the origin of the voice._

"_My business is my own."_ _A face revealed itself through the darkness. It was of the man he killed. The face had blood dripping down the sides of his mouth. It was grinning._

_Ranma backed away, scared. "Where did you come from? Who sent you? Give me a clue!"_

"_Dance of the Crescent Moon..."_ _The image faded._

XXXX

Ranma was forced back into reality when he felt cold metal on his neck. He looked up nervously, expecting to find the man there, standing triumphantly next to Hotaru's corpse. Instead, he found the smug face of Pluto. "Pathetic."

It happened fast - too fast. One second Ranma was in his own little world, lying on the ground. The next, he was on his feet and laying into Pluto like she was a rag doll. Hotaru moved to help her when she saw tears in Ranma's eyes, fearing that he lost control over himself. She quickly placed a Silence Wall between them before Ranma could finish Pluto off. Upon noticing that his attacks weren't making contact, Ranma stormed off, away from the Titan Palace.

A battered looking Pluto staggered to her feet and looked mutely to where Ranma was marching off to. Hotaru came to her and began healing with her special ability. While healing, she asked, "Why are you here, now of all times?"

Pluto gave a light sigh, thinking about what to tell the girl. After a few seconds, she said, "I've actually been here for a few days. Nemesis-kun explained his reasons for taking Ranma here, and those reasons were fulfilled last night. After Ranma kills someone, I'm supposed to take him to Pluto to meet up with Nemesis-kun and start his training there."

Hotaru stayed silent as she finished the last of the bruises. Once finished, she asked, "When you take him, can you take m-" She stopped short, feeling an explosion of power coming from where Ranma was.

Not far away, Ranma narrowed his eyes. There were twelve of them total. All of them the same scattered black images, the same face. Was this his mind playing a trick on him? The one closest to him spoke, "As I said, mortal, you _cannot_ defeat me."

Ranma focused on that one. Dried blood stained the sides of his lips, distinguishing him from the rest. The chest also looked a little dented. Ranma pulled out his scythe. "I killed you once; I can kill you again."

The marred clone smirked. "Can you, mortal? Are you sure I'm not just a little part of your mind? That I'm not here to just haunt you for killing a living person."

Ranma faltered. He stared long and hard at the man. Was he real? Did he rise from the ashes of his grave like a phoenix, or was that just some part of his mind desperately hoping he was another Saffron? He saw Hotaru and Pluto running towards him from the distance. By the flailing of their arms and their distant, worried voices, he knew the answer.

One of the men saw the approaching pair and grinned, "Ah, the mortal is assured. Don't be. They cannot save you. You are chaotic in nature. The precious teleporting Senshi Pluto can't use her powers at their fullest near you. My _business_, that you were so curious of, now involves you."

Before Ranma could question him, the twelve began to emit a bright light coming from the core of their bodies. The light was a violent orange that seemed to thrash against Ranma's very soul. He tried to fight it, flare his aura, but it happened fast and efficient. His ki was ripped from his body and thrown into a place unknown. Before he could even think of what happened, his body followed the ki, acting like a teleporting ability.

Hotaru and Pluto could only watch hopelessly as the man known as Ranma vanished in a pillar of orange light, dissipating in seconds. Hotaru collapsed to her knees, watching the man that had earned her trust and friendship, that had been her guardian angel, that had saved her life and her sanity, get ripped away from her world. The dams broke free; mental barriers were torn apart; she cried. Her heart-wrenching sobs softened the heart of even the stoic Pluto.

Senshi Pluto wordlessly watched the most promising gift from the gods be stolen away. She knew that Ranma was a being of chaos, that his very nature interrupted her ability to safely cast spells. If she had tried to teleport to him, she would have been taken somewhere else. She heard Hotaru's cry's and saw the youngest Senshi on the ground, openly mourning the loss of her friend. The sight brought a new emotion inside Pluto, one that she didn't think she had: pity. She promised to take care of Hotaru for as long as she could.

XXXX

Ranma couldn't describe what was happening. His ki, his energy, his very soul wasn't with him, yet his body was functioning. He was being pulled through the universe, passing planets and stars in mere seconds. For a few minutes of the peculiar experience, he was alone. After looking around and admiring the view, despite the strange situation, he saw some_thing_ behind him.

It was vaguely a man. The face was hollow, as if he had been starved, with skin that was a ghostly white color. The eyes were black as night, with the iris being as red a blood. Its features wouldn't move, as if the face was solid or a mask. The body of the thing didn't match the face. It had a ruby cloak covering most of it, but from the outlines, Ranma could still make out slender muscles.

It was also holding something. From this distance, that something was medium length. It could have been an axe or a sword, maybe even a mace, but whatever it was, it was silver in color with a deep red stain on it. Ranma didn't want to know why, although he had an idea.

The figure was moving much faster than him, despite the fact that they were passing planets in seconds already. When it reached striking distance, Ranma got a better look at the weapon. It was a stick, looked to be pulled off a tree or a crude staff cut in half. There was crimson lightning dancing around the tip, looking like something pulled out of a fantasy book.

Ranma gulped. This was no fantasy. The figure pulled its scepter back and began to swing it forward. Ranma tensed to intercept it. Suddenly, he was thrown out of the nightmare, and his body was once again united with his ki. Before even checking out his surroundings, he looked back to see if the figure was still there. It wasn't; the nightmare had passed. That is, until Ranma looked around.

XXXX

"What the HELL do you mean taken!"

Ryu was pissed. No, he was beyond pissed. He had finally found someone with a balanced understanding of the world - someone worthy of being his apprentice. He had poured his heart and soul into the creation of that kid. Now he found out that his prized student had been kidnapped, _and_ that there was absolutely NO way to find out where he was.

Pluto sat with her head down. The Garnet Rod rested limply in one hand, a bottle of booze in the other. She waited for a particularly loud cry from Hotaru to die before muttering, "Like I said. Twelve people got past the Space Keeper, surrounded Ranma, and they teleported him away. As we both know, I can't track him nor use my time abilities near him." She lifted her head enough to make eye contact and offered some liquor to Ryu.

The man took the bottle and downed it. He wiped his mouth with a grunt. "Well... shit."

XXXX

Ranma found himself bound to the wall by strange, glowing chains. The chains linked him to a wall, with cuffs that were equally strange. Crystal-powered energy storage devises were encrusted in the cuffs, radiating the sky-blue glow that spread mysteriously about the chains as well.

Alright, so he had been captured. Captured and bound in a cell after... what was it, zipping through endless space and getting chased by fanciful entities? Ranma snorted. "Stranger things have happened..." If what that cloned man had said was true and Pluto couldn't track him, Ranma knew she would at least inform Ryu of this. The man wouldn't rest until his apprentice was found.

Of course, that didn't mean Ranma had to remain trapped her like a damsel in distress. He tried to pull himself free. He grinned in triumph when his hands managed to pull further than the chain would allow, but a mounting resisting became too much and his arms snapped back into the boundaries of the chain. That was unusual. He watched the chains this time before attempting to pull free again. This time, to his amazement, he saw that the cuff slipped right through his hand, as if it was just an illusion. With sickening dread, he then noticed exactly _what_ the cuffs were attached to, and it wasn't his arm.

His _ki_ was bound by the chain, glowing softly in the shape his arm would have been in. His forearm stretched about two inches away from its ki base, connecting at the elbow. Ranma tried once again to break free. The arm went about a total of five inches away from his ki before the resistance became too great and it was shot back into his ki. The nineteen and thirty-seven year old martial artist sighed and looked around.

Overhead was a strange light, not confined in a bulb. It crackled with purple lightning, almost like how the strange man's scepter did with crimson lightning, that occasionally stuck out in jagged bolts. One particular bolt bore into his arm, causing a sudden jerk and a lance of pain. He grunted before ignoring it. It didn't hurt nearly as bad as a Shishi Hokodan, but it stung. The crackling light gave the room a grim, purple tint.

On the wall next to him, Ranma found what used to be a person. The right hand was still attached, but the back of it was decaying and looked like it would fall off soon. The left hand was also decaying at the wrist, but the bones of the forearm still protruded out all the way to the elbow. The elbow itself still had a few tendons and ligaments attaching the humerus to the forearm bones. Below the arms was a leg. The flesh and muscles of it were chewed away to about halfway between the knee and the foot. A big chunk of flesh was ripped out of the calf muscle.

Below those chains was a new set of chains attached to a child, sitting right next to the gnawed leg. The child himself was asleep, unconscious, or dead. Ranma could barely make out weak rising and falling of the kid's chest and knew him to be alive.

Beneath Ranma was a plate of food. It contained only what looked to be a slice of bread. A rat-like thing approached the food. The rat, if it can be called that, had its body in a more circular shape, and it was flattened to the ground. The body only protruded about one inch up, with three beady little red eyes, reminding Ranma of the figure that was chasing him earlier. The feet were clawed and very sharp. A closer look at the hairs revealed another secret: they were as stiff as death. The small strands looked like little knifes waiting for prey. It had strange teeth that Ranma noticed when it opened its mouth to take a bite of the bread. They had canines in the front and the flat ones in the back, much like a human. Right before the rat thing took a bite, its underdeveloped nose caught scent of the food and it scampered away.

Ranma then heard a sorrowful, wary voice, "If you're not going to eat that, I will." Ranma was able to locate the voice to the boy, who was now awake. Silently, Ranma pushed the plate over to him with his foot. "The names Maggot. What's yours?"

"Ranma," came the cautious reply. As he watched the boy devoured the rotten bread and ignore the taste, he asked, "Why'd your parents call you Maggot?"

The boy, now known as Maggot, set down his food before answering, "I never met my parents. I've been here for as long as I remember. This is like home to me. My parent, if you can call him that, is my keeper." He pushed his food away, clearly losing his appetite.

After a few minutes of silence – only broken by the gentle breaths of Ranma and the heavy wheezing of Maggot – Ranma asked, "So this keeper, who is he?"

Maggot smiled and beamed, pride clearly shown, "The second most powerful demon next to the demon master!"

Ranma's eyes widened, "It's a demon?" Flashes of various demons he met in his old life invaded his mind.

Suddenly, there was a clicking sound behind what appeared to be a door, catching Ranma's attention. It was hidden between the cracks of the wall to his left. When it opened with an eerie grinding sound, Ranma grew slightly nervous; the grim purple light did nothing to illuminate the darkness behind the door. What stepped inside, however, made Ranma cringe.

The first thing he noticed was that it had a grotesque version of a pig's head. The head was a lumpy sphere with a slimy snout protruding out. Above that were its beady eyes. The eyes were as black as night, like tar pits, and had an oval shape with a malicious gleam to them. The eyebrows that hovered above them made an angry V. The effect of a furious face, however, was dampened by how the brows continued up the grimy forehead and made a fancy curve, like a comical pirate mustache. On top of the bald head, two ram horns stretched out, except… they weren't exactly horns. They were made of the same grayish skin that clung to the body like a cocoon of dead rat skin. The tips were caked in dry blood, for a reason Ranma did not want to find out. The most unnerving part of it was the smile. It was crooked, literally. It came down the right – Ranma's left – side of the face. Two cracked and sharpened fangs escaped the recesses of its mouth.

The body was not much better. It was stacked like a snow man, with two thick slabs of fat instead of snow. Both were gray with a black substance that perspired out of hidden pours like sweat. In the upper slab, there was a hole on the left side where the heart should be. Inside the hole was a void - something Ranma never wanted to explore. Grayish blood oozed out of the hole and down the first slab of fat, making a sickening trail over the black grim that clung onto the body. The blood continued its 'expedition' into a waiting mouth in the second slab. The second mouth greedily drank the blood in a never ending craving, waiting to move on to a different kind of blood. Human blood.

The legs were like dough, made of fat instead of flour. The middle of the thighs were pushed in all the way to the bone, like a kid had come by and squeezed it until the fat bulged out both ends. Instead of lower legs – or even feet – under the knees, three claws on each leg reached out. The claws were made out of a solid material, like bone or fingernails, but they were able to move, like dead fingers reaching out to grab something or someone.

The arms were what terrified Ranma the most. Two more slabs of fat stuck out of the upper chest. Instead of shoulders, the arms were crammed into the fat like twigs in a snowman. How they stay connected, Ranma never wanted to find out. On these arms, nightmarish leaches were devouring this _thing's_ blood. They were black in color and had their little mouths fastened to the arms. A bone also protruded out of each arm. Thick at the base and greenish in color, they moved in and out of the arms like the steady pumping of a steam engine. The ends of those arm bones were flat and sharpened, like knives. The black grim that covered the body dripped down the bones like the blood the they were ready to spill.

When the demon entered, Ranma also felt power. Not just any power: magic. While training with Ryu on Nemesis, he had been exposed to a few of the wonders of magic. Simple things like sealing shoes closed – a replacement for laces – or opening locked doors. Ryu had kept that kind of training to the minimal for reasons Ranma had yet to figure out. When he came in contact with the power that hung around the demon, he shuddered, the feeling being slightly overwhelming. It also made Ranma realize something, _If I ever escape these chains, I will never make it out with him as a guard._

The demon gave a snort of glee, seeing its new toy awake, "**So you are awanke now, my little chaos generator.**" (1) He pulled his right bone in all the way. What came out after that was a syringe. Ranma looked fearfully at it, not wanting anything that had inside of him. "**This is Miepothylocusoid Thylose. It is a very useful drug. It shuts down the operation of Motor Neurons, manking you unable to move; it supplies the necessary substances your body needs to survive; and best of all, it mankes you experience your worst fear over and over and over again, until you are begging to die."**

Seeing the pig-thing approaching, Ranma struggled against his bonds. When in striking distance, Ranma tried to lash out with his hands. It went within inches of the pig's face, only to be launched back once again. He tried again with his foot. It also stopped within inches of hitting the demon, but not for the same reason; a compression of air halted the foot before the resistance took ahold. "**Heh heh, my little chaos generator. I used to be a demon master myself, before Master came along. A petty human linke you will never be able to destroy this shield. Now be a good rat and manke screams for me.**"

Ranma continued to struggle, endlessly fighting against his bonds and the shield. He turned still when the pig demon glided the syringe up and down Ranma's right arm, careful to not puncture the skin. "**Snkin… It's so underrated. People think you need to sticnk sharp objects down into the muscles to cause pain, but just the snkin is laden with enough sensory neurons to get the job done.**" With that, he poked it into the arm, only breaking the skin.

Ranma grinned defiantly, "Please… Even a hit from Kuno hurts more than that!"

"**Oh, a fighter! You're going to be **_**fun**_ **to breank,**" the demon gurgled with glee. With that, it slowly forced the needle in. Ranma had to bite back a scream, not wanting to give the demon what it wanted. He could feel it tearing through his muscles, one at a time. When the needle hit the bone, it didn't stop. With a muffled crunching sound, it broke through. The glowing purple liquid was then injected into Ranma's bone marrow. The effects were almost instant; the involuntary twitches from the pain stopped instantly, and Ranma could feel himself falling into darkness.

XXXX

_Images swirled in the darkness surrounding poor six-year-old Ranma. They had demonic, blood red eyes. Their animalistic hide was decorated with wild fur. Fangs reached out, some longer than Ranma's neck. Their hissing and spitting reminded him of a roaring, deadly waterfall. He tired to back away, but his crawling was interrupted by coming in contact with something. A furry something. A frightened Ranma turned around and found a hell-beast. It viciously bit deep into his shoulder, drawing blood. Ranma screamed in pain._

XXXX

The pig gave a crooked smile, one that was dripping in malice and bliss. "**I forgot to say, everything that happens in your dreams, your mind also feels.**" The demon sat down on what looked to be an invisible chair in front of Ranma. Its smile grew wider and it would shudder in ecstasy on the more petrified screams.

XXXX

_A bloody Ranma was lying on the ground, surrounded in a pool of his own blood. He was crying and shivering in fear and pain. He felt a cold breeze kiss his skin. He tightened into a ball, hoping to escape what was to come next. A voice brought him to his senses, "Ranma-kun…"_

_He looked up, desperate to find the source calling his name. "Okaa-chan?" He finally found it. Nodoka was kneeling elegantly on a small mat at the kitchen table. She held the Saotome family blade on her lap._

_"I love you." There was a flash and the family blade was through his chest. Ranma gasped and cried out in pain and betrayal. He slumped to the floor, helpless to block out the words coming from her, "You have proved to be unmanly. You disgrace this clan. For that, you shall hold your oath and commit Seppuku." She gently pried the blade out of him and held the handle in arms reach._

_Ranma's thoughts were in a whirl. Ignore it? Do it? Take it and kill her? He stared blankly at the blade, chest still burning from where she stabbed him. After what seemed like an eternity, he picked it up. He held it in front of him and continued to stare at it, showing no emotion - not even pain. Nodoka smiled in either pity or happiness, Ranma didn't care. He tossed the blade to the side. "No."_

_Nodoka took a step back in surprise. She then snarled at him. "I tell you as your mother, you are honor-bound to do it!"_

"_To Hell with honor!" Ranma shouted back, anger replacing his pain. Anger at his mom, anger at the blade, anger at honor, anger at everything._

"_To Hell __**with you!**_" _Nodoka's voice changed as she did. She grew a snout for a nose. Her skin paled to a grey color and black grim seemed to seep over her body from pours. Soon, the pig demon was standing in front of him. It gave him a crooked smirk and retracted a bone back into its arm. The bone suddenly exploded back out and impaled Ranma through the chest. He screamed in agony and collapsed once again. The fatigue of both the physical pain and mental stress finally took its toll on his conscious as he passed out._

…_Or at least he thought he did. Ranma opened his eyes to blackness. A few seconds later, the nightmares began anew, just as excruciating and taxing as before. Ranma couldn't resist weeping until he was too exhausted for even that._

XXXX

_Wheezing. Whose is it? Wait… the room. _He _wheezed. What's his name? Cockroach? No… Maggot. Yeah, that's it. Wait, that's not coming from the floor. It's close and… familiar? It's-It's mine!_

Ranma's eyes snapped open. Even though the light was a dull purple, it still stung like hell. Moving limbs was like bending steel; it took much effort but was possible. There was a burning pain in his right arm. He turned his aching neck to see how bad the damage was. There was a deep hole. Dried blood caked the arm, making its own trail all the way to the bottom where it had finally dripped onto the cold metal floor. Dark purple marks spread out of the wound like the roots of a weed. The humerus was broken; Ranma had enough broken bones to know that.

A voice reminded Ranma that he wasn't alone. "You're awake already? It usually takes people four to five days to wake up before tolerance starts to kick in. It's only been twenty-six hours since you were injected. Amazing!"

Ranma wearily looked at Maggot, both astonished and disturbed. He just went through literal Hell, several times, and now this kids was acting like he just saw a great movie. Ranma roughly shook his head to clear a growing headache and demanded, "Why the hell are you so happy?"

Maggot went silent and turned to stare at the outline of the door. Ranma glared at him long and hard, trying to force the answer out even if he couldn't move. After what felt like a few minutes in the tense, discomforting silence, Maggot said, "Well… this is my only form of entertainment. My whole life has been this cell for the past six or seven years. All I get are the rats for company and the occasional test subject for Sir Anquish – the pig demon you met earlier."

Ranma turned away disgusted. This earned him a chuckle from Maggot. "What the hell is so funny?" Ranma snapped.

With a large grin, Maggot said, "You think its horrible now, but later you'll find it just as entertaining as me. Just wait."

Before Ranma could retort, the cell door opened. His eyes snapped there fearfully. A new demon entered, this one a cross between a raccoon and a bat. It slowly flew into the room with its strange wings and gazed manically at Ranma. "Ah, I can feel it now. So much hatred, sorrow, pain, _chaos_, agony. I think I'm in love!" By the high-pitched voice, Ranma could only guess – and hope – that it was a female. It gave an overdramatic sigh, "But alas, it was not to be! For we shall remain separated by the bonds of our origins." It stopped the rhythmic movements of its wings and let itself drop to the floor with a small plop. "All hope is not lost, my dearest, for we can elope and run into hiding at the far recesses of the universe and remain in hiding, basking in our love for each other!" It gave a heroic pose which made Ranma sweat drop.

Ranma gave an unconscious shudder, _The ancestor of the Kuno. I knew there was no way he came from human origins. I'll be damned before I become part of the Kuno line._

Maggot gave a childish giggle. "Good evening Mary. I see you like our new guest."

The demon – now known as Mary – extended a paw like it expected a handshake, "Marian Furrowburd, pleased to meet you mister…"

"Ranma Uzuki-Saotome, and the feeling is not mutual." He didn't bother with raising an arm.

Mary giggled. "I think me and you are going to get along _just fine_, but that is for a later time. Nighty-night, Ranma-chan." Any thought that the girl might not have been evil was banished when she brandished her own syringe and made another hole in his arm. Ranma bit back a scream as he returned into the land of the nightmares.

XXXX

_Family surrounded Ranma; he felt safe. Hoshiko, Fugao, and Reyth surrounded him, all smiling with love and care. A dark figure entered the house. Ranma pointed to it, tried to warn the family. They just smiled at the cute way he waved at them. Ranma watched in horror as the figure began to pick them off one by one. Hoshiko went first, her body exploding in a mass of blood as duel axes torn her body into gory shreds._

_Fugao was next, trying to attack the person who dare _touch _his wife. His threats against the figure were cut short as his head was removed. The figure didn't stop there, it had to continue. It removed Fugao's arms and attached them to its back as if they were wings. The face was peeled off crudely by a hunting knife. The figure also attached that to its face and turned to Reyth._

_Ranma jumped in front of Reyth in hopes to protect him. Said man was backpedaling fearfully to the wall. The figure gave a deep, throaty laugh as it calmly approached Ranma's uncle. It walked through Ranma as if he didn't exist and continued its way to the target. Instead of a quick death like the others, this one was drawn out. The arms were cut off first, then the legs. When all that was left was a writhing, screaming, bleeding stump, the figure made little traces of crimson lines across the chest. Each cry from Reyth caused Ranma to wince. The figure finally finished the cuts and removed the head._

_Ranma dumbly saw that the lines made a word. R E V E N G E. The figure turned to Ranma as if it had known he was there the whole time. Stunned, Ranma fearfully backed up to the wall before the impact of the murders hit him. He suddenly lost himself to rage and attacked the figure. The blows now hit the target, but they were each skillfully blocked or dodged. The figure laughed, muffled by the mask of skin. Ranma screamed in rage and tore the skin of Fugao off. When he did, he gasped in shock. The face in front of him was his own, blood splattered and grinning._

XXXX

Days went by like this. Days, weeks, months, years. None of it made sense or mattered anymore. New demons came by for injections. Sir Anquish hadn't returned once. Never conscious for more than an hour. Multiple holes in the arm. The nightmares changed too, sometimes they were of Neko-ken, sometimes they were just plain torture, sometimes just watching family dying. Ranma grew a tolerance to the drug, too. Bigger and harder doses of the liquid were needed to stay in the world of nightmares.

Addiction. Ranma eventually gained a sick sense of euphoria when the damned drug entered his system. He stopped fighting the injections; he craved them. It was an escape from the dullness of the cell - away from the outside problems of the world. Noticing this addiction, the demons would taunt him with the syringe until he begged for it.

After the first week, leaches had appeared in the ever growing puddle of blood that formed from the wounds in Ranma's abused and violated arm. Like the ones that bad been feasting on Sir Anquish's arms, they were big and black; their tiny mouths devoured and craved the dried pool.

After roughly two years of the Hell inside the cell, Ranma's biggest problem made its appearance. It came in the form of a Nekomata.

XXXX

_Sounds of breathing. No more pain. Out of nightmares. Must return. Can't… live… out… here._

Ranma opened his sleep-tormented eyes. The familiar purple of the room brought a groan from the once-warrior. Maggot shifted on the floor in front of him. Ranma turned his blurry gaze onto the now eight year old boy and wheezed out, "Why… don't… you… ever… get injected?"

Maggot smiled from his place on the ground. "Sir Anquish favors me like a son. I don't know why, but he lets me watch the suffering instead of taking part."

Ranma snorted weakly. "How nice. Can you use that favoritism to get me another injection?"

Maggot gave a chuckle. "Just be patient; they'll be here in a minute."

Ranma shivered, despite the room being hot and stuffy. "You don't know what it's like."

Before Maggot can make a reply, the door opened. "See, here's your precious life-line." What entered made Ranma's blood run cold and fear enter his soul for the first time outside the drug.

It was a Nekomata; a cat and human mixed. It had eerie purple, slitted eyes that strangely reminded Ranma of someone. Three pairs of whiskers adorned the sides of its mouth. It had a heart shaped nose. The left ear had a notch torn off the tip, contrasting with the rounded triangle of the other. It was wearing a ragged, dirt stained T-shirt that looked to be way too small. It had long black pants that seemed to be too big for its body. The fur was a soft, silvery color, and the tail forked in two behind her.

It spoke with a female voice that reflected Ranma's torture. "Ranma-kun, it's been five years." It speaking even made Maggot's eyes widen.

"What the hell? You can talk?" Maggot asked bluntly.

In the universe of the Demonata, where all the demons live and come from, only demons with the rank of demon master were able to speak. Mary was an exception. She was not familiar – lesser demons that belonged to demon masters - and developed vocal cords using her own magic.

Ranma hardened against his fear and focused on a different matter. Through the haze of his mind and the cold need for the drug, he asked, "Five years? Who are you?"

The cat demon gave a smirk that looked like it didn't belong there. "That isn't for you to know." She pulled out the bigger syringe. "For now, have fun in your dream land!" She quickly thrust it to the hilt and injected the drug. Ranma was thankfully unconscious before she even pulled it out.

XXXX

_Amethyst eyes. They were familiar yet foreign. Through the black fog that covered Ranma's vision, the eyes peer out at him. They weren't full of malice or hatred, just curiosity. Ranma called out to them, "Who are you?" No answer. "Do I know you?" Again, no answer. The eyes began to fade, plunging Ranma in complete and total darkness._

_Then there were sounds. Scuttling. Many tiny legs. _Spiders? _Ranma shook his head and tried to locate where the sounds were coming from. Something crawled over him. Red dots appeared all around him. Eyes. _Eyes to what?

_A light turned on. Ranma couldn't locate the source. The things that owned eyes and feet were now visible. He gulped. He was surrounded by thousands of overgrown centipedes, each around a foot long. They all had large pincers in front of their mouths, each looking sharp and ready to slice someone apart, and slice apart they did. Ranma screamed in unrelenting agony._

XXXX

The Nekomata winced when Ranma began screamed. She quickly exited the room and tried to shake off the feeling of guilt that grew in her stomach. When the door shut, that was the last either occupant saw of her for a month. Ranma woke up a couple of days later.

Without opening his eyes, Ranma asked, "How long was I out?" His arms felt like lead and his right arm burned furiously, but he was growing numb to the pain.

He heard a feminine giggle. "Three days, Ranma-kun."

Ranma gave a small smile, opening his eyes to the glare of the purple room and repressing a wince. "Mary, how have you been?" Over time, Mary had strangely become the little source of light to him. She was the only one who actually treated him nice, even if it was feigned.

"Horrible! I must cry myself to sleep ever night, thinking of how I can never be with you!" She let out little, fake, overdramatic sobs.

Ranma played along. "But alas my love, it was never meant to be, for the gods have played tricks on your mind! See through the fog of uncertainty and see the truth!"

"I have seen the light, and it showed the happiness we would share should we were together!"

"Surely the gods-"

"They have not! My love for you is eternal and true!" She paused her act with Ranma when she saw him shiver. He was staring intently at the syringe she was waving around. She frowned. "But for now, my love, sleep." She injected the substance and made her leave. Ranma gave a contented sigh and returned to the sanctuary of hell.

XXXX

Shivering from the intensity of the latest nightmare, Ranma woke up. The last one was different. Instead of watching himself kill of friends and family, he _himself_ did the deeds. He was begging to question his sanity. The affects from addiction were heavy. Withdrawal hit him sooner and harder ever time he woke up. The combination of the two never let him think straight, and his sanity slipped more and more every day.

It had been ten days since the first visit from the Nekomata. A reptile/canine demon came in and gave him the next injection.

XXXX

At the end of the month, he saw _her_ again. The eyes of the cat-girl were full of pity, and she seemed nervous. Ranma kept a steady gaze and asked a question, "Who are you?"

She completely ignored the question and held out a lemon. "Eat this."

Upset on being ignored, Ranma snapped at her, "Like hell I will! You come in here saying you know me, but you don't answer any questions. Your eyes say you care, and yet you inject me like the rest. Now you come in here and tell me to eat this?"

Hurt crossed the girls face. "S-Sorry." She bit her bottom lip and struggled with something internally. Ranma softened his look and waited patiently for whatever she would say. She finally snapped her head back and captured his eyes. She seemed to have found the answer as her eyes held confidence. "I'll explain. First, let me tell you about this drug, Miepothylocusoid Thylose. The first thing is that it is a poison. It's also a base - ph wise - that changes your brain patterns. The natural ph of the body that is required for homeostasis works as a catalyst for this drug.

"To put it simply, taking an acidic substance – in this case the citrus acid from the lemon – into your body results in neutralizing the effects of the poison. It will minimize the problems of physical dependence but not entirely remove them. I want to help you."

Ranma gazed uncertainly at the lemon. "And why should I trust you? How do I know this isn't a trick? Never in all my life have I met a demon that wanted to be nice."

The Nekomata drew back, heading for the door. "You don't. You go by your instincts and your heart." She paused and turned around. "Final chance. Do you want the lemon?"

Ranma thought the situation over. For a minute he hung there just staring at her and the lemon. He finally broke into his old arrogant grin, although it lacked its spirit, and he said, "My instincts tell me to give you the finger, but my heart tells me to accept. If I ever listened to my instincts I never woulda been trapped in here." The cat gave a smile of her own and held the lemon near his teeth. Ranma took a bite and began to chew, a sensation that he hadn't felt in over two years. On the first bite, he spat it out and, cheeks puckered, gasped, "Gah! Sour!" The girl giggled and held it out for him to take another bite. Ranma warily took it and barely managed to get it down.

When he was finished eating, he got the same feeling of being full that he had gotten all those years back after having a large meal. His digestive system started up again, having shut down a while back because the body didn't use it and it wasted energy.

The Nekomata smiled at him when he finished. "There is one problem though. The lemon shuts down _all_ effects of the drug, including the nutritional part. You are going to need real food from now on. I can only come once a week, and I can't get anything more than a lemon past the guards. Any ideas?"

Ranma thought about it, fighting through the muck that clouded his mind. The only way to get food in was through that door, where two guards waited outside. The only person who was allowed to bring in any thing that wasn't drugs was Sir Anquish. Ranma was willing to bet his life on the fact that the pig would never do that for him. The idea of bringing a meal in now seemed impossible.

_Wait a second._ He was looking at it all wrong. Bringing material food in _was_ impossible, but bringing in food hidden by magic _could_ work. Who was strong enough to use that much magic and cared enough to be nice? The answer came to him and he grew a strange smile. "Bring in Mary."

XXXX

Laughter. That was the first thing Mary did when she heard the predicament. Still with a smile, Mary answered, "I would get killed and given to the familiar if I did that." Ranma grew disheartened. Mary then pinched his cheek with a wide grin. "But then my dearest would grow unhealthy and die. If that happened, who would I elope with?"

Ranma smiled and attempted to give a hug with his left hand. He didn't get very far, but Mary got the message and gave him a hug. The Nekomata had a questioning look on her face. Ranma just laughed and said, "It's an inside joke." After the merry – no pun intended - moment was over, Mary left with the Nekomata not too far behind. Just before reaching the door, the Nekomata stopped when Ranma asked, "What is your name?"

The cat-girl flashed her amethyst eyes on him and said with a smile, "Just call me Nekomata." Ranma shook his head, smile still on his face. It wasn't until an hour later did Ranma notice a potential threat to this plan. Said threat was sitting on the floor smiling obliviously.

XXXX

It was the first day of the plan. Ranma was alert and ready. Anxiety twisted through him. When the door opened, it was agonizingly slow. It revealed only darkness. He tensed. A small scuttle was heard, causing Ranma gulped nervously. A little thing came out into the light. Its tail swooshed happily behind it and it had a big black patch of fur over its left eye. Its bat wings carried it into the air. Ranma beamed; Mary had arrived.

Mary quickly closed the door behind her. She flew up to Ranma's face and held out her hand. Through the black skin of her raccoon hand, little crumbs were seen. A pulse of magic flowed around the crumbs, and they began to grow. They revealed fruit, bread, and a big chunk of meat. She had obviously shrunk the food to get it into here. She brought each piece to his mouth and he took big bites. When he was finished, she spoke, "Last night, the guards said that they felt you remain conscious. I talked to… Nekomata, and she said that the drug should still be able to knock you out, but there will be no nightmares. We need to still give it to you to not raise suspicion."

Ranma nodded in understanding and didn't flinch when she pulled out the syringe. Nor did he flinch when it entered his bone. He was surprised, however, when she kissed him while injecting. His last conscious sight was of her giggling cutely.

XXXX

_The familiar darkness surrounded Ranma in lucidity. Instead of fear of what's to come, he felt safe and secure. Ranma laid down on whatever the ground was and let sleep completely take his conscious. For the first time in many years, he had _real _sleep._

XXXX

Ranma awoke to find fish, bread, and vegetables. Mary was holding them up above his nose. She smiled when she noticed him wake and let him eat. When he was finished, she gave him a gift. She first asked for his permission, "Ranma-chan, I want to give you something: a tattoo that will reveal the time. It will be hidden from prying eyes – although demon masters can easily break through the hiding spell - and will only be revealed to you when you channel magic to it. Do you want it?"

Ranma shifted uncomfortably. He _did_ want it, but there was much to fear. Fear that Sir Anquish would see it and punish Mary for a kind act. Fear that their plan would be found out, and they would all be killed. But there was another fear, fear of time itself. He had been in this room asleep and unconscious for so long, and it's been years since he actually knew what time it was. Reluctantly, he nodded. Mary put her paws on his left forearm and began to chant a spell. Meaningless words flew past her lips and didn't reach his ears. It was obvious she was experienced.

The spell was short and Ranma felt a great power enter his arm. When he looked, he found a dull blue glow. True to her word, it showed the date: Monday, March 15, year 722. Ranma whistled; it had been three years since he had been with human life. To the discomfort of both, another person whistled. They found Ranma's earlier threat looking at the arm.

Maggot grinned at them. "Wow, I've been here for eight years." He went back to staring at the wall and ignoring them.

Mary and Ranma looked at each other a blinked. She then shrugged and bid them goodbye. After she left, Ranma studied the tattoo. He felt something. It was like a stream running into the words. He noticed the stream as magic. He tried to stop the stream and sever the connection. Focusing on his magic, he imagined a vein being cut in half. It worked, although he still felt the power residing in his wrist. He channeled his magic to it, and the mark reappeared. He grinned and played around with it for a bit. It served as a form of entertainment for him.

Around ten minutes later, a demon in the shape of a gorilla mixed with an octopus entered and gave him an injection. Ranma went back into the world of dreams, not nightmares.

XXXX

A pattern emerged, noticeable by the tattoo on his arm. Sunday, Nekomata would give him a lemon to hold back withdrawal and prevent the drug. Monday, Mary would give him food. Tuesday, random demon number 'a' would give him the shot. Wednesday, Mary would come by once again to give food. Thursday and Friday would be random demon numbers 'b' and 'c', but on Friday, he would go back to the nightmares, the acid in the lemon wearing off. Saturday, Mary would come by once again with food. After two months of this more joyful life, something happened.

Ranma woke when he felt something touch his left wrist. He remained motionless and tried to listen in on the words being said through the haze of waking up from a forced sleep. "Mary-… magic-… wrist-… time." Ranma almost stopped breathing. That was Maggot's voice.

A deep voice answered back in a low scrape, "… **Alright-… advantage-… revenge.**" Ranma gulped, it sounded like Sir Anquish. He felt something pierce his right arm and he was sent back into a dream world where he had a nightmare that wasn't induced by the drug.

XXXX

_Voices. Mumbles. Cries. All those entered Ranma's ears. He forced his eyes open and gasped. Corpses were the first thing he noticed. They littered the ground and surrounded a group of people. The next thing he noticed was that he _recognized _the corpses. Hoshiko, Fugao, and Reyth were among them. The others were his new and old friends: Ryouga, Ukyou, Akane, Genma, Nabiki, Kasumi, Nodoka, Ryu, Maggot, Mary… Nekomata._

_Their killers sat in the center of them all. Ranma knew each and every one of them. They each had maniacal grins on their faces. It was Sir Anquish, all the Senshi, and Queen Serenity. Ranma snarled in fury at them. They turned to him and laughed. Laughed at him. Laughed at the fact that he couldn't save them. Laughed at the fact-_

XXXX

Ranma was in instant pain upon waking and his body racked with shivers. Pained fogged his mind, but he felt it. It was getting closer.

When the door opened, Ranma was hit with waves of power. The gray skin, the pig face, the fat slabs of the body. Yes, Sir Anquish had decided to visit him again. Not one to beat around the bush, the Demonata said, "**I noticed you are becoming less affected by the pain and fear in the nightmares. I'm giving you a **_**gift**_**.**" He pulled in his bones and a syringe crept out from each one. The one in the right arm was the familiar purple, but the other was neon green. "**This causes hypersensitivity and allows me to tanke control over your nightmares. However, the side effects from this drug are a bit more drastic. If tanken for an extended time period, you will gain a permanent hypersensitivity.**" With nothing else to say, the demon plunged both needles into his arm: the purple in the bicep and the green in the forearm. Ranma was out like a light.

XXXX

_No more darkness. No light either. There was nothing and yet there was something. Loss of control. A foreign presence. Scared. Not a safe world. Must leave, must gain control!_

"_**Heh heh... My little chaos generator. Time for a true experience of torture!**_" _Instant recognition, Sir Anquish. He was here, not a dream, actually here. Must leave. Can't. Still strapped down. To what? A rock._

_The world opened up. The sky was dark, without the peaceful glow of starlight, and dark grey shapes like thunderclouds rolled overhead. The rock was flat and long, it's face holding Ranma up against that oppressive sky. Turning his head, Ranma saw that it rested over a pool of blood. Sir Anquish walked up, each step on top of the pool like a predatory water-spider. He stopped beside Ranma. The bones of the arms were missing, most likely retracted inside the body. He put a fleshy nub onto Ranma chest, right above his heart. The bone exploded out and impaled Ranma. He cried out in pain. The pig gave a snort of excitement and did it again._

_When the pain finally stopped, Ranma opened his eyes. What he saw made him gasp in shock. Another Ranma was tied up next to him, a similar rock slab breaking the surface of the pool of blood. Although there was a difference, it was _Ranko_. Said woman looked over and gave a shaky smile to her counterpart. "__**This interests me.**_" _The sudden noise made both Ranma's snap their attention to the other occupants of the room. There were now two pig demons._

_They walked up to their own copies of Ranma and stabbed through them. Ranma felt the pain of not just his stab but Ranko's too, and he let off a roar of pain. The high-pitched female scream drowned out his deeper male one. When the pain subsided, both Ranma's opened their eyes to see a third Ranma, on his other side. This one was a six year old child. The child gave off a gentle meow that sent both Ranma's shivering. The Neko-ken._

_The three Sir Anquish's grew a look of confusion and curiosity. "__**Most interesting indeed. How many Ranma's are there? Let's find out, shall we?**_" _They each impaled one and removed their bones. Ranma felt the pain of three stabs and gave a louder scream, the hypersensitivity overloading his senses. He quickly hardened against the pain to see if there was a newcomer. There was._

_Gritting his teeth, Ranma forced his head up a bit to see another rock slab before him. This one held another woman, one he had never seen before. She had forest green hair that reminded him of the trees back at a forgotten home – Nemesis. When her eyes opened, they revealed an onyx black that reflected her pain. She was very beautiful, and Ranma felt like he knew her, like a long lost friend._

_This was obviously a first for the demon, and he anxiously stabbed the new batch of Ranma's. Ranma winced in pain but kept his eyes open and observed the girl. Who was she? Said girl also kept hers open, locking hers with Ranma's. A thing Ranma noticed was that he still only felt three stabs, not hers. They both ignored the demons' grunts of sadness when it noticed there wasn't a new type of Ranma._

_The girl mouthed the word, "Sorry," before they all were hit again. The screams of two different people filled the bloody sky._

_The torture continued like this. Every hit would produce a new Ranma, but it would repeat the pattern of the four different types. The number of blades stabbing per wave increased to hundreds and then to thousands. Ranma could only cry and watch helplessly._

_He breathed heavily after the last wave. The next one came without waiting. Countless blades pierced countless places, and he felt each and every one of them. Once again the pain stopped right when the blades pulled out. He had experienced pain beyond human limits. Hypersensitivity and the blades caused him to shiver. The demon was about to strike again, but he stopped suddenly. He looked around and then he and his thousands of copies vanished._

_The strange woman looked at Ranma, seemingly less affected and with a much, much higher resilience. "Ranma?" Said boy just rested there, breathing heavily and staring at the sky lifelessly. "Ranma, please look at me." He looked up and pierced her soul. His once sky blue eyes now looked like ice. They held no emotion, just pain. The woman tried her best to help him, "Ranma, are you still with me?" The boy continued staring. She shifted uncomfortably under his gaze but didn't break. "Are you still with me?" The world began to fade, her with it._

XXXX

Ranma woke to find the room empty, Maggot gone. He just hung there, eyes unfocused, looking at everything and nothing at the same time. The door busted open and collided with the wall less than a foot away from his body. He didn't even flinch. Mary rushed into the room, looking fearful and desperate. A quick spell broke the chains and he fell to the ground. He didn't get up.

Without speaking or checking on him, Mary lifted him and bolted out the door. Through the rush, Ranma carelessly observed that the two demons that guarded the door were dead and lying in a pool of grayish blood. He was rushed downed the left corridor, but they were confronted by a pack of demons. Mary gently set Ranma down before engaging them.

If Ranma was in his right mind, he would have marveled at the power and skill Mary possessed. Fireballs, lightning, ice, trees, and even bones were thrown around in their fight. Mary took out the initial demons, but more came in and swarmed her. The fight moved into a different hallway. Ranma lost sight of her and just sat their on the floor. After a few minutes of staring into space, Ranma got up.

He continued down the corridor as if in a trance. He reached a door and saw that it was locked. After a few minutes of just staring at it, he attempted to open it. His right arm was completely paralyzed and use was out of the question, so he tried a different method. Casting a lock-picking spell, he was able to enter the room.

The room was relevantly small. A table rested in the middle and left little room to walk around it. On the table were various items. The lighting was poor, but Ranma found one particular item of interest: his scythe. After grabbing the weapon with his left hand, he went out a door on the other side of the room.

The next room was pitch black. He continued walking on the rock floor until the thumps of his feet made a squishing sound. Not having any light, he channeled magic to the tattoo in his arm. The dull blue was enough to light up the floor. He found blood. It was smeared around all over and pooled in some spots. Chunks of flesh and bone were littered around in others. Hearing noises, he moved up behind a nearby pillar. He was working on instinct now. Conscious left the tortured boy and his body was driven by an unknown force. He found two people enter the room. One held a torch and the other was covered by a hood.

He heard, but did not register, words coming from them. "Stupid demons trying to disrupt our plan. How dare they defy the rule of their master?" The other gave a gentle bob of its head but didn't make a noise.

The hooded one used the blood on the ground to draw strange symbols. He made a circle with them and began to chant. Ranma felt the magic in the air moving towards the center of the circle. After a few minutes of chanting, a purple light was seen. The light first came from the runes, but then it moved to the center. It formed a large hole in the center that was big enough for a man to fit through. Although a man isn't what came out. Instead, a big, ugly demon did.

The demon looked sort of like a giant beetle. It had huge, threatening spikes sticking out of its back. Instead of normal eyes, bugs crawled in and out of the sockets. It turned to the two men and attacked them.

The man holding the torch dropped it and yelled a few words of magic. A black chain that seemed to radiate a form of light appeared. He threw the chain around the beetle and caught it first try. It gave a screech before suddenly stopping. The chains began to sink into its skin. It stopped fighting and went to its new master's side. Commands were given to it, and it ran out the door Ranma entered. Exhaustion hit Ranma like a brick and he suddenly collapsed, drawing the attention of the two men.

XXXX

Ranma woke up in a bed. It felt strange to him. The light sheets gave the feeling of warmth and protection, like he was safe. His body hurt, but it felt clean. _Clean._ He had been given a shower. Knowing that he was in his birth gender, he could only guess it was a western shower that involved no cold water. He opened his eyes and was greeted by _white_ walls. The light made him strain his eyes.

He sat up gently, easing his muscles. Out of a new habit, he checked his tattoo for the time. It's been two weeks since the torture from Sir Anquish. He paused. What torture? He strained his mind and tried to remember it. Nothing. He frowned. Everything that happened for the last few years was sketchy and blank. He sighed and looked around the room. Finding a basket full of fruit, he helped himself and ate it all.

He made a deeper scan around the entire room. It was fairly large compared to his cell that he had lived in. He paused again. What cell? He pushed the thought back and looked around. It had a door, two dressers, two closets, two beds, a desk, and a chair. No window. He got out of bed and walked up to one of the dressers. He looked for anything that would suit his needs. He pulled out a crimson, skin tight shirt and a pair of baggy, black pants. Deciding that they would do until he bought new ones, he began to head for the door. He then did a dead stop.

Quickly looking back at his left arm he gasped. When the _hell_ did he get a tattoo that told him time? For that matter, when the _hell_ did he leave the palace on Saturn? Noticing the date on the arm, he screamed bloody murder when he noticed that it's been three years since he was on that planet. He also noticed that the right arm wasn't moving and was scarred. He sighed at the insanity of it all and left out the door, hoping to find some answers.

In the hallway, he found that he was in a school of sorts. Others filled that hallways, but each looked as confused as he did. They all funneled down the stairs at the end of the hall and found what could be called the gym. It filled up with around fifty teens. Inside the gym was a large man.

The man waved to them all and told them to sit down. He began to speak, "Good morning, everyone. You have all been rescued from a terrible place. This school is a place for you to learn and prepare for life. Your memories of the terrible place have been sealed and will be returned to each of you when you are ready. For now, I want to test you all on your current knowledge and skills. From there, you will be placed into groups that will help you in your strengths."

Ranma frowned from his place in the crowd, _help me in my strengths? I'd rather work on my weaknesses. Where am I, and what are these people planning?_ One by one people from the crowd were called up and tested. Ranma was impressed by a few. Some were very proficient in magic while others had more strength than Ryouga. When it was finally his turn, he cautiously approached the stage.

"Okay, your name is?" The man began with a smile, comforting Ranma but not making him lose his feeling of unease.

"Uzuki-Saotome Ranma of the anything Goes School of Martial Arts," Ranma said, still taking pride in his title.

"A fighter huh? Well let's start with your mental capabilities. If a train left a station at…" Gentle questions were the initiative. They began to get harder, and Ranma struggled. After a few minutes of struggling, the man stopped the questions and was satisfied. "Now for your magic capabilities. You're free to do as you want."

Ranma demonstrated with his lock picking skills. He was about to tell the man that was all when he remembered something. He showed the man the tattoo and the man gasped. "That was created with heavy magic. Did you create this?" Ranma shook his head, and the man's face hardened. "Did you have Demonata or a Magician do it?" Ranma shook his head again, confused on what those two were.

"I don't know where I got it. It wasn't there three years ago. I'm pretty sure I got it sometime in my locked memories."

The man's look softened and he continued, "That's okay. Now, show me your martial arts. Fight me." The man took a relaxed stance.

Ranma first checked the gravity of the planet, rule number one. Finding it as much as Saturn's, he seemed satisfied. That is until he noticed his weakness. "What the hell? I feel as weak as I was when I was a kid. Exactly what _did_ happen in those three years?"

The man winced and dropped his stance, "You will find out in time. Can you at least tell me what you _were_ able to do?"

Ranma sighed, "I could fight for hours. My ki attacks were able to cancel out a Senshi's. I could-"

"You could what?" The man seemed very, very surprised. "Are you lying?"

"No. If you want, I could demonstrate. It won't be as strong as it was back then, but it will still pack quite the punch." The man crossed his arms in front of his chest, silently telling Ranma to go ahead. Ranma held out his hand and faced him, "MOKO TAKABISHA!" The familiar ki blast shot out and hit the man hard. The man took it in and was pushed back a few feet. The arms were bruised and burnt in some places, but he was fine.

The man grinned and said, "I'd hate to feel that on full force. I'm going to place you in combat squad and order a meeting with the Queen."

Ranma froze, fear entering him for an unknown reason. "Queen who?"

The man looked at him strangely. "Queen Metaria of course. Report to training field 12 to meet with your team and instructor."

Ranma gave a sigh of relief and left the stage, back to his room. He sat there in bed and waited for nightfall. After a few hours of waiting, the door opened. A strong looking man stepped inside. Not just strong looking, Ranma remembered, the guy could hit a boulder and create the Bakusai Tenketsu effect without any ki. This man was _strong_. Ranma remembered something else, the guy was fast too.

The man smiled at Ranma and waved, "Yo! My name's Makusu."

Ranma gave a brief wave with his left hand, "Uzuki-Saotome, Ranma."

Makusu laid down on his bed and also stared off into nothingness. "Strange isn't it?"

"Uh huh."

After a bit more of silence, Makusu asked, "So… what planet are you from?"

Ranma grew a small smile, "A lot. How 'bout you?"

"Gastral."

Ranma propped himself up on his elbow and faced the boy, "Really? I heard that place was destroyed a very long time ago."

Makusu shifted uncomfortably. "I know. I wasn't exactly 'born' there, but that's where both my parents were. I was born on Zulpher, where the Zuluzian and Gastralian people landed. So what's your main planet?"

"…Nemesis."

Makusu was up in a flash. He tried to glare hatefully at Ranma, but it was futile. He sighed, "I'm supposed to hate you and your kind for being traitors, but I just can't bring myself to hate someone I don't know." He got back into his bed.

Ranma gave a small smile. "They coulda used someone like you in World War II."

"Huh? World War II?"

Ranma turned out the light, "Forget about it."

XXXX

The next morning, Ranma dressed in a full black body suit. He felt baggy clothes would only get in the way. He grabbed his scythe and placed it in a custom holster on his back. Whoever supplied these clothes certainly knew what they were doing. He went to the lunch tables and ordered breakfast. He had a simple western style breakfast and was about to go outside when something hit him, and it hit him hard. He clenched his head in pain and shivers wracked his body. Makusu, who was walking next to him, noticed and gave him a shoulder to lean on.

Makusu led Ranma back to the tables and set him back down. Not knowing what to do, he pushed a cup of orange juice in front of Ranma and told him to drink. Ranma shakily grabbed the cup and took a little sip. For reasons he didn't understand, it instantly relaxed him. He downed the cup, and the shivering and pain reduced to a minimum.

Makusu helped Ranma back to his feet and asked, "What happened?"

Ranma shook his head, "I have no idea. Something must have happened within my locked memories."

Makusu nodded and went to observing his own arm. "I know what you mean. Before I used to be able to crack boulders, but now I crush them as if they were dirt. I can't wait to get my memories back." Twenty-two (forty) year old Ranma and Makusu continued outside.

Ranma had to strain his eyes when he first saw the sun. There were two suns in fact, a big change from the speck in the distance that he saw from Saturn. To both of their surprise, they were heading for the same place. Ranma found out later that Makusu was also a part of the combat squad.

They found six other people waiting for them. The instructor of the group was easily noticeable. He was tall, around six inches higher than the rest. His shoulders were broad and easily seen through his red muscle shirt. That was another noticeable thing, he wore all red. His hair was a flame red color and Ranma could only guess on what this guy specialized in. He had light brown eyes that seemed to also have a red sheen on them when they reflected the sunlight. Across his waist was a belt with a notable buckle.

The buckle was of Earth's moon. The left side of it was concealed in shadows. The dark side of the moon. The other side was unique. Instead of the grey speckled moon he grew used to with his time on Earth, it was a pure white. In one particular spot, that he learned to be Mare Serenitatis, a city could be seen. From textbook description he could only guess that it was the Moon Kingdom. Across the entire buckle, a kanji stretched. It read 'hi', the Japanese for fire (2). Ranma snorted, it figured.

The man noticed the new arrivals and began his lesson, "My name is Hi, and I'm going to be your combat instructor. Let's start off with your names, likes, dislikes, dreams, hobbies, special abilities, strengths, and weaknesses."

Makusu spoke up immediately, revealing to everyone that he either liked to talk or was a very self-confident person, "My name is Makusu. I like training and fighting. I dislike those who betray their friends. My dream is to get into a spar with the Senshi of Zulpher. My hobby is to train. Special ability is to umm… well pretty much destroy anything in a single hit. My strength is my strength, and my weakness is that I use too much energy in my hits, leaving me exhausted quickly." Makusu was in a navy blue T-shirt and shorts that didn't restrict leg movement. He was bald and had forest green eyes.

One of the three girls in the group spoke next. She had a green, leather bodysuit on that looked like it could be uncomfortable, yet she moved in it with ease. She had two swords attached to her back that were currently sheathed. She had long green hair that stretched down to the middle of her back that was tied into a pony tail. Her eyes were green like Makusu's, but they held a peaceful look to them. "My name is Hirono, Tachi. I like forests and peaceful meadows. I dislike forest fires and people who harm innocents. My dream is to own a forest of my own that I can live in. My hobby is to grow plants with magic and make shapes with them. My special ability is to phase into plant-life and phase out of any plant I want. My strength is sword fighting and using plants while fighting. My weaknesses are any fire-based attacks."

Hi cut the introductions short. He looked at his watch and said, "Alright, I don't want to overload you people with information. I need you all to be able to identify each other as quick as possible so we are going to take a quick break from that. I'm supposed to teach you all basic information before sunset so lets get started.

"The first thing is that you are currently on planet Belican. The Senshi here owns this school. We are the combat group. We have a mission, but I'm not allowed to explain that until later. The combat group's purpose is to do the dirty work, in this case, fighting." A man in the crowd grew a grin at that. It was obvious to Ranma that he was someone who liked killing. "We are going to take a quick five minute break in which you all should talk amongst yourselves and get to know each other better." With that, Hi left in a swirl of flames.

Ranma blinked at the unique and hasty departure and grinned slightly, _I want to learn that._ He then began to study the crowd. There were two that looked like brother and sister. They both had white hair and light blue eyes, and they were dressed in elegant, white kimonos. They were talking to each other quietly. The man was the one who had grinned when he heard about the fighting.

Next to the siblings were the more mysterious people of the group. A man sat in the shade of the tree, literally. His body was melded with the shadows and only his dull grey eyes were visible. It was like Ryu's Shadow Dance ability. He seemed to be observing and judging everyone in the crowd. When his eyes came to Ranma, one look at the lame arm made him disgusted. Ranma felt anger boil up in him but moved on. The other was a girl. She was garbed in a black cloak, hiding most of her features. The only thing that revealed that she was a female was her face. Through her hardened eyes and tense expression, a hint of femininity could be seen.

The girl, Tachi, approached Ranma, "Hi! I'm Tachi." Now that she was closer, Ranma got a better look at her swords. The handles were curved and lace stretched down them. The handles themselves were smaller than what he was used to, but that was to be expected. The sheaths had engravings of vines growing up and down their lengths. Tachi saw him looking at them and gave a smile, "I'll let you hold them if you let me hold that." She pointed to his scythe. Ranma returned her smile and removed it. "Wow! You're left handed?"

Ranma smile dropped. "No." He handed her the prized weapon and received hers in return. He pulled the blade out and was very impressed. The folded metal was the steel found on Jupiter. He could feel magic pulsing through it. A mental probe of it told him that the spell was to repair and clean it after use. The blade was curved and looked ready for action. He looked up and found that she was currently fascinated with his.

Tachi recognized where the weapon came from immediately. "Nemesisian wood AND black copper! How much did this thing cost you?" The word Nemesis brought the pair to the attention of the rest of the group.

Ranma gave back her sword and shouldered the scythe. "It was a gift." He left it at that, not wanting any more questions. Hi then returned and the attention returned to him, although some would occasionally glance back at Ranma.

"Alright, time to finish off the introductions," he spoke without delay.

The white haired woman spoke, "Samui Chiyo. I like the snow. I dislike those who try to hurt my family. My dream is to stay with my brother at all times. My hobby is training with him, and my special ability is the ability to withstand brutally cold temperatures. My strength is silent assassination, and my weakness is physical combat."

The one Ranma assumed to be her brother spoke next, "Samui Yusuke. My likes are killing. I dislike people who only fight with words. My dream is to become a Senshi. My hobbies are killing and training. My special ability is the same as my sister's, Chiyo. My strength is physical combat, and my weakness is anything that requires magic."

The mysterious woman removed her hood. She had black eyes that revealed the hardened warrior within. Her black hair hung loosely down her back. "You can call me Athena. I like challenging fights. I dislike many things. My special ability is combining my ki and magic when fighting. I have no strengths or weaknesses. My dream… is to get revenge."

The man in the shadows stepped forward. He had medium length brown hair and dull grey eyes. He was dressed in a cloak like Athena's. "Plague. I have no likes, dislikes, hobbies, strengths, or weaknesses. My special ability is creating poisonous gases with magic while _not_ in the presence of Demonata, and I can move through shadows. My dream is to find my father."

There was silence after that. Hi decided it was his turn, "My real name is Kazeru, Dan. After graduating here I was dubbed Hi - a mandatory name will be given to each of you after graduating. Our real names do not leave this group. My likes are teaching the new batches of combat specialist. My dislikes are those who abandon their friends or comrades. My dreams are none of your business. My hobby is now teaching you. My special ability is creating fire with just my ki. My strength is ki attacks. My weakness is that I get over excited sometimes.

"Now, if that is all the introductions we can-"

"That's not all the introductions. _He_ hasn't spoken yet," Plague interrupted, pointing a thumb at Ranma.

Everyone else turned to Ranma as well. Ranma sighed, "Uzuki-Saotome, Ranma. If you can gain my trust I'll tell you the rest." An awkward silence followed. For some reason, Ranma had a strange reluctance in giving away personal information to these people. In truth, he just wanted to get back to Saturn and Hotaru.

Deciding to break the silence, Hi said, "Now, if that's all the introductions we can start training. I'm going to pair you off into groups. I want you to spar and get a feel of the other's fighting style. Chiyo and Plague, you go first."

The group – excluding said couple - backed out of the ring that many noticed made up the training ground. Hi stood in the center and held his hand up. "Begin!" And brought it down. He then did his flame teleport out of the arena.

As soon as the match started, an unhealthy mist surrounded Plague. It was dark purple and seemed to seep out of the pores in his skin. Chiyo's eyes darkened and snow began to swirl around her. On an unknown signal, Plague dived into his shadow and Chiyo vanished into her snow. The gas that once surrounded Plague began to grow and surround the entire arena. Chiyo suddenly appeared out of her snow and looked panicked. Getting an idea, she used the magic in the air to make a large snow pillar. She stayed on top of it.

The pillar brought her to safety and out of the gas. She sat their on her frozen bird's nest and tried to get a view point of where Plague was. Said man appeared in her shadow and kicked her. She was knocked forward and almost off the edge. She turned around and began to gather magic while Plague finished materializing. Chiyo made a ball of light at her feet which took away her shadow. She then created icicles above Plagues' head. She thrust the icicles downwards in hope of impaling him. A poison gas cloud appeared above his head, and when the ice entered, harmless water dripped out.

Plague suddenly shot gas out of both his hands and it surrounded Chiyo. The gas moved upward and efficiently made a dome around her. He turned to Hi, "I win. There is no way…" He paused. Looking back at the cloud, he gasped as he saw through it. Chiyo had encased herself in a dome of solid ice. Before he could react, vines raced up his legs and trapped him. They bonded his arms and legs together while one went around his throat. Without any loss of dignity or pride, he exclaimed, "I admit defeat."

As he said those words, the vines released him and Chiyo removed herself from the ice. The gas returned to Plague's body. Hi gave a clap, "Quite an unexpected ending. Next are Yusuke and Athena."

Hi walked into the arena and melted the ice away. When he finished thawing it, the next two approached the arena. After a shout of Hajime, the two charged each other. Yusuke made a broadsword out of ice and parried a quick strike from Athena's dagger, displaying the strength of the ice. Athena's left hand, the one not holding the dagger, began to crackle with power. Ranma was the only who knew what she was making.

He could feel raw, emotionless ki enter her hand. He could also feel the magic building. The very magic that had gathered in the air seemed to be drawn towards her attack. He then noticed exactly how powerful it really was, "Stop it! You'll kill him!" His shouts went unheard.

When the attack was ready, vines shot out and warped around Yusuke's body, drawing him closer to the base of the attack. When his body came in contract with her hand, an explosion was heard and he was launched to the other side of the arena. Athena disappeared after him and held her dagger to his throat, "I win."

Yusuke himself was in a horrible condition. His chest was split open and ribs were scattered around the arena from the force of it all. His breaths were ragged and he looked about to die.

Hi saw the man and called over to training ground 11, "Nurse! We got a problem!" A woman ran in and quickly began to heal the boy. Little heads peaked over the wall separating the training grounds, and Ranma recognized them as the teens he saw the day before. That must be where the healing specialists got sent to.

Yusuke was fully healed, but he was unconscious. Ranma glared at Athena, "What the hell did you do that for? I said stop! You almost killed him!"

Athena brushed him off. "I don't need a lame telling me what to do." She walked back to the sidelines.

Hi didn't seem to mind either. "Alright, next two: Tachi and Ranma."

Tachi quickly went over to her side and pulled out her blades. Ranma nervously walked to his and pulled out the scythe. He could hear his breathing and heart rate increase as adrenaline filtered through his system. Never wielding the weapon with just his left hand before, he balanced it on its side and waited. Hi started the match and Ranma tensed.

Tachi took the initiative and shot the overused vines at him. Ranma jumped out of the way and severed the ones that got too close with his scythe. Tachi charged in and went with a scissor strike. Ranma put the blade of his scythe between the swords, inches away from his throat. He felt the strain instantly from using only one hand. He shoved forward before jumping back.

When he gained enough distance, Ranma opened his hand – careful not to drop the scythe – and shouted, "_MOKO TAKABISHA!"_ The confidence filled attack hit her with solid force. Tachi used her blades to block it and grunted from the force. She was about to charge again when he attacked again, "_MOKO TAKABISHA REVISED: apathetic edition."_

Again Tachi crossed the blades in front of her. It hit the swords and knocked her out of the arena into the wall. Ranma blankly gazed at the new crater, hand still extended. Without a warning, he gripped the scythe and charged. He attacked with the blunt side. A foot from striking distance he was stopped. A geyser of water shot out of the hole.

Tachi rose, a frown across her face. She charged her opponent only to fall in shock when she saw what came out of the water. Instead of a sickly man, a frail looking girl was found rising, carrying the same staff Ranma was. The crimson pigtail now adorned the head of her opponent. The scythe was in the _right hand_.

Ranma observed her opponent with a malicious look. No way in hell did she want to deal with the curse now. There _was_ a plus though, new body meant new arm. New arm meant use of the right hand again, but she had better plans. Ranma threw her weapon to the side and settled into her usual stance. She grinned wickedly, this body lost _nothing_. No muscle, no nerves, no power… Ranma was back.

With speed that surprised all the onlookers, Ranma snapped back into the fight with vengeance. Tachi was thrown back into the defensive. On one of the brief breaks she got, she yelled, "Stop! I don't want to hurt you. Get your scythe back." She gestured to her swords.

Ranma grinned. "Don't be foolish. If you expect to be on the Combat Squad, you need to learn how to fight while disarmed. Besides, weapons are crutches." She rushed in again and began another offensive.

Tachi had a nervous frown while blocking and dodging. She didn't want to hurt her, but what Ranma said was true. Reluctantly, Tachi started her own offensive. Ranma grinned as she ducked under a swipe from Tachi's sword. It was finally a fight.

Ranma grabbed her hand when she swung at her and hit her in the chest. Tachi skidded back a few feet and lunged at her. Ranma took a step back and avoided the strike. She then did a sweep with her legs and knocked Tachi's legs out from under her. Instead of falling, the plant marital artist did a handstand with her sword. It was time for her specialty.

Ranma watched with an amused look on her face when the girl did the… sword-stand. The look quickly vanished as a tree began to grow in front of her. The tree suddenly lifted its roots and the branches became like arms. It took a funny-looking stance and stood next to Tachi, who had both swords in front of her looking like fangs about to latch. Ranma decided it was time for some new techniques.

_Flashback…_

_Six year old Ranma stood next to Ryu. Ryu gestured to the tree, "Watch closely and feel what happens." He paused and positioned his hands in front of him, "SHADOW DRAGON!" The ki attack once again rose from Ryu's shadow and crashed into the tree. The sturdy Nemesisian wood groaned under the strain before splintering into tiny chips._

_Ranma scratched his head in confusion. "I didn't really notice anything."_

_The male Senshi sighed, "You need to _feel _this attack. Send out your senses. Become one with the life around you."_

"_Yes Master Yoda."_

"_Who? Oh never mind, you future people are so weird. Are your senses out?" Seeing the glazed look in Ranma's eyes and the brief nod, he did it again. "SHADOW DRAGON!"_

_This time, Ranma felt it. Energy seemed to flow from the planet into Ryu. It mixed with the Senshi's and was guided towards his shadow. The shadow itself seemed to hold its own energy, but it wasn't ki. It was the opposite, sort of like 'negative ki'. The three energies mixed together and formed into a shape. The shape rose into the air and smashed against a new tree._

"_I can feel it! It was amazing!"_

_Ryu smiled at his pupil. "Now that you know how it works, you make one."_

_Ranma frowned. He needed to make an attack that combined his energy with outside energy, creating something much stronger. The absence of light in the shadow gave it strength, the two opposites working together to form a flawless force. He tried to use the shadow like that. A poor squirrel that was resting in the shade of a tree was suddenly swallowed by shadows and never heard of again._

_Ranma sweat-dropped. Maybe shadows weren't such a good idea._

End flashback…

"_FUBUKI SOUSOU! (3)"_ The Samui twins felt the attack first. The air around them began to drop in temperature. The coldest point was by Ranma, however. Ranma grinned as she looked up, face strained. Sweat glistened down the sides of her face as she finally channeled the attack. Using the negative ki, the absence of heat, as the catalyst, she formed a globe of snow white ki in her hands. She thrust it forward and smirked when it came in contact with Tachi and the tree… thing. Seeing an unconscious Tachi, she said, "I win."

Hi nodded dumbly. "Winner by default, Ranma. Now can someone explain why the hell he is now a she?"

"It's a curse. Now can someone please pour some warm water on my head?" With a snap of her fingers, Athena manifested a bucket load above his head. A male Ranma now shouted, "DAMMIT! Why the hell do people think warm water means boiling?"

Hi stared dumbly at his new student. He raised his hand to say something before stopping and shaking his head, "You'll tell us in time. For now, Makusu and I will spar."

The two were about to enter the arena when a purr was heard, "But Ranma-kun, you'll tell me won't you?" Heads turned, and they found a _thing_ sitting on the wall.

Said thing was female. She had familiar purple eyes that reminded Ranma of Hotaru's. She had a notch taken from the left, triangular shaped ear. Clawed hands made Ranma shift uncomfortably. Three whiskers hung out on each side of her mouth. She was covered in silver fur. Two tails forked out behind her and flicked happily. She was dressed in a purple T-shirt and long purple pants, easily matching her eye color. She was Nekomata, the cat demon that he had heard about in the old folk tales he heard on Earth.

Something about her clicked in his head. Something that made him smile when he saw her. Something that made him want to be honest and helpful for her. Despite her feline traits, he found that he wasn't as afraid as he should have been. "Do I know you?"

Nekomata grew a hurt look in her eyes. "What do you mean? Maggot and I came all the way here after escaping to find you!"

Something else clicked for Ranma. Anger, confusion, hurt, happiness, sorrow. In the span of a second, all those flew through his head on the mention of Maggot's name. A hand on his head against the confusion of the sudden emotions, Ranma glared at Hi. "What the hell happened!"

Hi gulped, despite the fact that he could easily defeat the boy in a fight. "I'm not allowed to tell you."

Ranma cracked his knuckles. "And I'm not allowed to maim my teacher, but that isn't going to stop me." Nekomata hopped down next to him as greater influence, claws poking out menacingly.

Hi sweated for a moment before finding his resolve. "All will be revealed in time. For now, you two talk elsewhere while I finish my spar."

Nekomata grabbed Ranma's hand and dragged him to the lunch tables. She pointed to a nine year old who was sitting there, "This is Maggot." Said boy had brown hair that was cut short. Green eyes were filled with conflicting emotions. He was weak in body structure and spoke in a raspy voice.

"Hey Ranma."

Ranma frowned at him, "Do I know you?"

Maggot sent a questioning look at Nekomata who explained, "Some sort of memory wipe." When Ranma looked back at the boy, Nekomata began making crazy faces behind his back.

Ranma filled in what he could. "They said they locked my memories. Any chance you could help?"

Nekomata tapped her chin in thought. "Memory lock, memory lock, hmm… No idea." Ranma began shivering suddenly. A headache hit full-force and he groaned in pain. Muscles twitched painfully and a longing for _something_ filled his mind. Nekomata quickly handed him the closest citrus fruit. In this case it was a lemon. "Eat this, it will help."

Ranma reached for it, but the spasming got worse, and his arm dropped. Nekomata sighed and held it to his mouth. Ranma took a big bite and swallowed it whole. At the same time, scattered memories broke through the dam. Scenes of the Nekomata helping him in a time of need. Scenes of Mary offering him food. Scenes of dull, purple rooms and rotten smells invaded his mind.

The stream of the forgotten was limited and only offered a select few. The last one was the worse: Maggots voice and a deep, whiney voice. A large sense of betrayal. Revenge needed.

Ranma suddenly grabbed Maggot by the neck and slammed him into the table. Nekomata gasped and moved to intercept him. Ranma resisted her advances and yelled, "This scum squealed our plan to the damn pig. It's his fault Mary died. HIS FAULT!" Ranma picked him up and tossed him across the room and into a wall.

Nekomata stopped cold and turned a betrayed look at the boy. Maggot croaked from the wall, "It wasn't me, I swear. Please, hear me out!" Ranma growled in a feral tone and moved to attack the downed boy… only to find himself face-first into the ground with his left arm pinned behind his back.

Ranma tried to get a look on who was doing this, but the pin prevented head movement. Ranma could hear the grin the man's voice when he spoke, "Now, now Mr. One-Arm. A big, strong person like you shouldn't hurt innocent, little boys."

Ranma growled in rage, "He's not innocent, Hi. Bad shit happened because of him, and I still don't know what." Knowing that struggling was getting him nowhere fast, Ranma calmed down.

Hi helped Ranma to his feet, but didn't completely let go. "Well good news, the Queen wants to finish unlocking all your memories now. Uh, Cat-thing, take the boy with us please." Nekomata seemed to perk up upon hearing mention of the Queen. She picked up the bruised boy and followed after the pair.

Once outside, Ranma finally noticed how small the planet really was. It was maybe only a thousand miles in circumference. Exiting out the front of the 'school' revealed a large airport. They entered a nearby military warship and left to the sky.

Ranma rode shotgun next to Hi and was able to see the mechanics of the vehicle. Nekomata and the quiet Maggot sat behind them. In the center of the controls was a 3D map of the solar system.

In the center was a dark place. It was labeled Zulpher. Speckled dots surrounded the place and Ranma had a feeling the dots weren't rocks. Belican rested to the left. True to Ranma's thoughts, the planet was the smallest there. Next to that was planet Chu, a relevantly small place that was only a wee bit larger than Belican. Next to that was surprisingly a place called Mermaid.

On the other side of Zulpher was Coronis. The planet was a rusty red color that reminded Ranma of Mars. After that was a planet that unconsciously gave Ranma shivers. It was planet Mau.

At the end of both sides of the row of planets were two stars; they were the suns that Ranma saw from Belican.

Noticing Ranma looking, Hi commented, "Welcome to my solar system." This perked up Nekomata and she looked over Ranma's shoulder to see the map.

"What the-? Where are we?" Nekomata suddenly asked.

"You'll find out when we land."

The trip to Zulpher was relevantly short, but they had problems going through the 'dots'. Said dots were just a minefield.

Explosions were happening left and right, the shields were down and the only reason they weren't dead was because of Hi putting a weak shield of magic up. "WHAT THE HELL, HI? I THOUGHT THIS WAS GOING TO BE A NICE TRIP!"

Hi glared at Ranma the best he could while concentrating on the shield, "Shut up and _enjoy_ the ride!" He suddenly looked forward and saw a large mine about to give a love-tap to the windshield. He sighed, "Well… shit." In a quick thinking action, he grabbed the passengers and teleported out of the ship right before it went boom. Using the last of the _obtainable_ magic, he created an air bubble around them while they were in space.

Hi saw that he could see the airport from their position. In a well timed action, he turned the magic from the bubble into magic for a teleport to the ground. They promptly scared the shit out of the workers when a ball of flames appeared above them and four people fell out. The scene that came after made them faint in shock: a man strangled their Hi-sama, a cat-woman thing strangled the man, and a kid laughed from the side.

"Why the hell didn't you warn us about that?" Ranma yelled at Hi.

"Why the hell do thing like this always happen when I'm near you?" Nekomata yelled at Ranma.

"Why can't we all be friends?" Hi asked, desperately trying to get air.

Ranma sighed and let go, as did Nekomata. He asked, "Why didn't you just teleport us here with those flame from Belican?"

"I can only teleport to where I see. Teleporting by means of location, like what you're asking, risks meeting the Space Keeper." Mentions of that name suddenly brought visions of a cloaked figure holding a shortened staff. Ranma shook his head, banishing the thought.

Hi lead them out of the airport and towards a large palace. It had black spires rising out of the ground. All around it large spikes protruded. It had an evil look to it, but it didn't really feel that bad. Soldiers, armored from head to foot in plated, black material, held their post and watched cautiously as strangers approached. A noticeable feature to Ranma was that the soldiers had the same crest on their chest that Hi had on his belt.

When their reached the gates of the citadel, the guards bowed in respect to Hi. To the shock of all, minus Hi, the guards also bowed to Nekomata. The captain of the trio spoke, "Hail Hi-sama! For what reasons do you honor us with your presence?" Ranma snickered at how medieval he sounded.

Hi smiled and laid a hand onto his old friend's shoulder, "Now Lee, I told you enough with the formalities. As for why I'm here, Queen Metaria requests that he-" he gestured to Ranma "-meets her immediately."

The man, know known as Lee, ordered his guards to open the large gate. "Of course, Hi. I hope you enjoy your stay."

As they walked in, Hi shouted back to him, "A stay here is like a stay in hell." The three others didn't know how close he was to the truth.

The gate opened to the courtyard. It had a stone road that led straight to the citadel. The road's sides were decorated with statues of heroes of old. As they passed the ancient warriors, Ranma could only gape at their names along with their weapons.

Gezuto the Legion Slayer – in honor to the man who wiped out a thousand soldiers. The man had a bulky form and was holding a weapon as long and thick as he was. The statue carried it in his right hand while a shield that covered his entire body was held in his left.

More statues were erected, each as fascinating as the last. Ferrow the Sharp Shot, Onyx the Stone Crusher… the list continued. The list ended when they reached a large oak door. The door mysteriously opened as they approached, despite the fact that there was no one opening it. It gave an ominous groan as its hinges were in use. They were met with darkness. As one, they entered the shadows. Hell awaited them.

* * *

_(1) Awanke is not a typo, N before K when it speaks._

_(2) It's pronounced 'he' as in 'he left the room', not like 'hi, how are you?'_

_(3) Blizzard Funeral. This is created by me alone, but the name is from Sabaku Sousou, Gaara's move._

* * *

**Announcements:**

This didn't include the preview. I actually had to split chapter three in half, this is currently 17,000 words alone. I also saw that the second half of the chapter is on a different subject, hence needing a different chapter. I'm sorry, no genocide, main-character death, betrayal, vengeance, or Ranma meeting either Queen yet.

_Plot Holes:_

How did those twelve guys teleport Ranma when Pluto couldn't? It's a different form of teleporting.

If the nourishment was the drug, why was there food there when Ranma arrived? Think of it as a 'last supper' for who ever gets sent into a cell.

If Zulpher is covered in mines, how do the other ships get there? They don't.

Why is Metaria already in power? I bend this story in ways I see fit.

_Poll:_

New Poll: (FINISHED)

(1) 8

(2) 5

Pluto is now the Senshi before Setsuna. GOD BLESS YOU ALL FOR GOING EASY ON ME.

* * *

_KACHU TENSHIN AMAGURIKEN_

_HIRYU SHOTEN HA_

_BAKUSAI TENKETSU_

_MOKO TAKABISHA_

_SHADOW DANCE_

_SHADOW DRAGON_

_SILENCE GLAIVE SURPRISE_

_SILENCE WALL_

_FUBUKI SOUSOU_


	4. The Forging

Reviews:

**Why didn't Ranma turn Neko-ken when he saw the Nekomata?** After being tortured by his greatest fears endlessly everyday for a couple of years, seeing constantly different demons enter the room to give the drug, he grew numb to fear. When he saw her, he noticed the good in her, despite the cat-like qualities, compared to all the real demons that came in. That's the best I can explain it without "I'm the author and I say no." :D

**(Now you'll prolly think) So why didn't he transform when he saw her after his memories were sealed?** Although sealed, Ranma unconsciously recognized her. This bypassed the fear brought on by the training. However, he still has a great fear and _can_ turn Neko.

**Queen Metaria = Metallia? **Yep.

**Congratulations to Drake0x for being the only one to guess Nekomata's true form.**

* * *

Nemesis ½: Banishment - The Forging

* * *

Darkness greeted them. Now, that's wasn't the friendliest of greetings, but that's all there was. No sounds, no smells, no lights. It made them feel numb, like they weren't there. Only the presence of each other and the cold floor beneath their feet gave them a feeling of existence. Hi urged them forward.

It felt constricting, like a small room. The darkness completely consumed them when the doors closed. Ranma's danger sense ran haywire as he walked nervously behind Hi. The feelings took over, and he subconsciously turned on the tattoo on his arm. The dull blue light flared to life and illuminated the room. Dark figures were pressed against the wall, watching them as if they were prey.

Ranma tensed as feelings of fear and anxiety grasped his soul. He could feel the _need_ for blood that radiated off each of them. They didn't look like they were going to be attacking anytime soon, so Ranma brought his attention to the others he was walking with.

Hi seemed the most casual about this; he had been here many times before. Surprisingly, Maggot was also carefree, as if those figures on the walls were nonexistent. The Nekomata actually seemed more nervous than Ranma. She kept watching the figures and flinched whenever one of them did a sudden movement. For a small feeling of comfort, Ranma wrapped his hand around Nekomata's. She gave a gentle squeeze as a thank you.

Ranma turned his attention forward when he noticed Hi stop. They were at a throne. The dull light did no justice as the details of both the throne and _what_ sat on it were obscured in mangled shadows. Hi gave a formal bow and kneeled before the person. His voice reflected the respect he held for her, "Metaria-sama, I have brought Ranma as you requested."

A female voice – laden in hidden emotions, or lack of – came from the throne, "So you have, and I am grateful." She stood up, shadows still adorning her figure. She analyzed and molested every part of Ranma's body with her eyes, making him shift nervously. With a grin brought on by hidden means, she said, "Ranma, I am here to offer you something and to answer any questions you may have."

Ranma shifted himself into the Soul of Ice. Anyone who was willing to hide all emotion from him deserved none in return. His body relaxed, and he stared coldly at her. Taking advantage of the straightened intelligence for the moment, he began his questions, "Where am I?"

"You are at the Dark Moon Kingdom."

Ranma could pull no trace of a lie hidden in her voice. Deciding that she might actually be telling the truth, he continued, "What is the Dark Moon Kingdom?"

"We are the rebels who fight against the oppression of the Moon Kingdom."

Curiosity bubbled behind his mental shield. He asked, "A dark name for such a noble cause. Any reasons?"

The Queen smiled, like she had been expecting that. "Well the Moon Kingdom isn't exactly a merry place either. If the lighter side of the moon is willing to turn men into slaves and expect the universe to be fine, I'd rather live in the dark."

Ranma understood but didn't give any sign that he did. "Exactly how do you plan on giving aide to the Moon Kingdom? To cure it and make it a better place once again?"

Another question she expected, "That resolves more on the offer. I can't tell you that unless you accept."

"Then let's move onto the offer. What is it?"

The Queen returned to her seat and looked him squarely in the eye. "Do you want to join our cause? Do you have what it takes to forsake prior achievements and goals for the new one; the goal to cleanse the galaxy from the blight it has turned into? Do you have what it takes?"

Ranma gave that much thought. He considered the benefits and the punishments of both sides. Reject the offer and return _home_ to his family and friends. Finish the training of becoming a Senshi and watch the corruption of the world from a rogue planet. Accept it and make a difference. Fight the order and reform it into a fair and just kingdom. This side came with a heavy cost. He would have to see his friends and family as enemies, maybe even to be forced to fight one to the death.

As Ranma weighed his options, Metaria spoke again, "Of course, this isn't a decision to be made yet. You shouldn't have to answer until you got all your memories back, in case something happened that made you want to change you mind."

Ranma stopped his contemplating and brought his undivided attention to her. Even with the shield up, a shiver went up his spine. Whatever memories were locked, they were not good. With a gulp, he hardened his resolve and spoke boldly, "Then let's get that over with."

A sadistic grin spread across her hidden face, "Right this way please." She got off the throne and began walking to a door behind it. Ranma followed quietly. The others began to head after them but were held back by her voice, "The others must wait in the waiting room. Hi, can you please show them where that is?"

"Of course, Metaria-sama," Hi gave another bow to her retreating form before guiding Nekomata and Maggot back out the front door. They were forced to make a ball of light to see through the darkness when Ranma's arm became out of range.

Metaria opened the door and walked into it, footsteps fading into nothingness. Even with his light, everything beyond the doorway was black. Noticing that he had stopped moving, he urged himself forward, into the nightmares.

As he entered, torches began to light up around him, revealing the room. It was circular, made entirely of stone. On the ground, dark runes of languages long forgotten were spread around in an unknown pattern. In the center, a scroll was spread out. It seemed to pulse with dark energy, like some demon was contained within. From the ceiling, a chandelier hung. It was made of decayed steel and held ominous candles. The candles were equal divided into a pentagram.

Metaria was no where to be seen, but he heard her voice ring out, "Walk into the center and place both hands onto the scroll." Not knowing what he felt anymore, Ranma did so with steady, even steps, careful not to step on any of the runes. On the first touch of the scroll, his hand recoiled in pain as shot up his arm. A look at his hand showed black burns on the palm. Wary of the pain, he gently tapped the scroll again as a test. Seeing no result, he used his left hand to move the paralyzed one onto it. Once that was placed, he laid his left onto it. "Now enjoy the ride." With an unknown signal, the darkness from the scroll shot back up his arms and into his head, leaving a burning trail in its wake.

Lost memories were found, horrors were seen again, pains were felt again. A rush of agony filled his mind, and he let out a roar as consciousness began to fade. In the span of a single second, his life of the last three years played in his head. Not a single detail or pain was left out.

_The assassin for Hotaru. The rage felt when finding out his purpose. The shock of Hotaru's apparent death. The guilt of killing him. The pains and horrors of having that grinning face hanging over his head._

_Sailor Pluto. The duel fought between them. The invasion of the person. Snapping and brutally attacking her. The rage felt when the wall appeared. Storming off, unable to cool down._

_Twelve men. Taunting, scheming, laughing. Taking him away. Ki leaving body, an empty feeling._

_The man. Mask, cloak, half-staff. The bloody lighting dancing around the end like a dance of death. Fear as he approached. Escape._

_Imprisonment. Dull purple room. Ki chains. Disgusting living conditions. The pig demon. The syringe. Nightmares, unending pain that came and went without remorse._

_Mary. The lovable demon that became an off-hand friend. Their kiss._

_Addiction. The need for the drug. The escape from reality. Withdrawal. Torment both inside and outside the conscious world._

_Nekomata. Purple eyed cat demon. Familiar yet unknown. The offer. Joy. Peace. Hope._

_Betrayal. Rage on being ratted on. Revenge needed. Blood must be the payment._

_The new drug. The new nightmare. The pain of a thousand deaths. The different Ranma's. The forth Ranma. The breaking of the mind, the empty shell of his body._

_Escape. The numb feeling of being freed and take care of by Mary. Her fighting for him. Her being led away to her death. The room. The summoning and capture of the demon._

_The three weeks leading to his awakening. The experiments. The test on his physique. The different pains and challenges. The blinding light. The feeling of emptiness. Being brought to the school._

Ranma awoke instantly after the flow was corked. The strain of them still pressed on his mind and swam around, occasionally making him relive them. He couldn't cope with them all, not now, not ever. He tried to sort them out, to make them memories of the past. The strain built up, needed release. He gave a roar, unconsciously enhanced by magic. The walls of the room vibrated, and they were heard even in the waiting room.

Nekomata flinched when hearing that. It didn't sound human. Hi was looking at the ground, memories of when this happened to him dancing around his head. Maggot's thoughts were unreadable. He just continued staring at the wall, eyes unfocused.

Ranma gritted his teeth and clutched his head, the pain becoming worse. Release, escape, freedom, numbness. Each of those were _needed_ but not gained. He hit the ground, shattering it and shaking the building. He hit it again and again, physical release only a temporary relief. The memories began to fade. Somewhere, back to the recesses of his mind. They left his control and went into someone else's. It was escape. With one last moan, Ranma slumped down.

Metaria's head appeared out of the scroll, followed by half of her body. An unreadable expression was on her face as she studied the unmoving body. She pulled the last of herself out and walked out the door. With a click, the tormented warrior was left alone.

The Queen walked up to a servant, and informed him of the situation. The soldier nodded and gave a weak solute. He entered the waiting room.

Nekomata noticed the screaming stopped. The room became silent as death. When the door opened, all of their attentions snapped to the frightened footman. The man removed his helmet and gave a regretful look to the audience, "I'm afraid he didn't make it. The strain became too much for him and he snapped. He lost the will to live and thus lost his life. I am sorry." He left.

Nekomata stared in confusion for a moment, as if not believing what she had just heard. Then, it hit her suddenly, and she broke down into sobs, Hi becoming her support. That's twice she lost him, twice. Maggot's face remained unreadable, and he walked out of the room, back into the main chamber. After a few minutes of back rubbing and comforting words, Hi also left. When Nekomata was all alone, a new figure entered the room. It was Metaria, unclothed of shadows (1).

She had raven black hair, framing the sides of her face. Piercing black eyes were held underneath that, looking like they could see into the heart of who they look at. Her face was etched into one of passivity, as expected of a great ruler. A few wrinkles marred what would have been a beautiful face. Instead of a lavishing gown, like Nekomata expected, she wore armor that was black as night. It was no surprise she blended so well with the shadows.

She spoke, "Dear, I want you to return to the Moon Kingdom before the people here find out where you come from." Nekomata was in too much shock from the news of Ranma's death to wonder how she knew about that. "I made a deal with the Space Keeper, and he is allowing you to return without risk of death. Please return and get changed back into a human; you don't belong here." Nekomata nodded sadly and followed the Queen out the door.

XXXX

It was weird, flying through the galaxy without need of air or other material needs. The feeling of no ki also felt foreign. Along the trip, Nekomata saw one person, or thing. It was a cloaked man wearing what looked to be a mask. In his hand was a scepter with lightning crackling on one end. Even at the high-speed flight, she saw him nod to her before she was torn from his view.

Marx, an elite royal guard of the Moon Kingdom, fighter and survivor of The Planets' Collision, hardcore _only male_ general and ironed resolved warrior, nearly shit himself when he saw a blue apparition of something appear before him along with the _NEKOMATA_ of all things falling right out of the sky. After nearly ten seconds of gaping, he called for backup and surrounded the figure.

Queen Serenity was having a bad day. The planet Saturn decided to go rogue and allied with Nemesis, Industrialized Jupiter was demanding higher pay for their materials, Mars was still suffering from draught, Senshi Venus was demanding a boyfriend, and now Nekomata had appeared right outside palace grounds, somehow unnoticed by Senshi Pluto. She gave a pleading look at the empty bottle of sake, willing it to be full again. With a depressed sigh, she picked up the Ginzuisho and headed out the door.

The platinum haired Queen approached a group of frightened soldiers who were holding a tearful Nekomata hostage at spear-point. She instantly felt that the girl wasn't the cold-hearted demon and ordered her release. She brought the girl into a motherly hug and gently brought her inside. She brought her to the infirmary and laid her on a bed.

Nekomata, once situated, faced the stressed Queen, "My Lady, I *sniff* bring news of Ranma." The Queen was all ears now, purple (2) eyes full of interest. "He's- he's- HE'S DEAD!" She broke down into sobs once again.

Crystal was stiff. The hope of the Moon Kingdom was now gone:

_Flashback..._

_Pluto bowed to her queen, "Serenity-sama, I bring bad news." The Queen fixed her gaze on the nervous warrior. It was strange; Pluto was NEVER worried._

_With her commanding yet gentle voice, she asked, "What is it, Lady Pluto?" Fearing the worst, she asked, "Did something happen to Ranma?" It's been one year since the boy's disappearance. Ryu had been so downcast by the loss of his pupil that he resigned himself to the mountains of Nemesis, where he hadn't been seen since._

_Still nervous, Pluto replied, "Sort of, My Lady. I had a feeling go through my spine, so I decided to check through the Gates of Time. I-"_

_Crystal cut her short, "Pluto! I gave you those powers to be a Guardian of the Gates, not a meddler! No one is to know the future, that is why you are there – to prevent people from viewing it. You have over-stretched your abilities as a Guardian. For that I shall have to restrict your abilities for five years." Mihoshi, the Senshi of Pluto, cringed._

_Desperately regaining her wits, Pluto finished weakly with, "Understood. But back on the problem at hand. I saw the kingdom in chaos. Everything burning, everyone dead." Crystal's eyes went wide in shock and horror. "But the worst thing is who did it. It was done by seven people."_

_The Queen was struck dumb. Seven people took down the army of the moon and the Nine Guardians with it? How could this happen? Holding her shock out of her voice, she asked, "When does this happen?"_

"_Sometime in the future. I can't get accurate times because of something. There was too much chaos involved."_

_Recognition hit Crystal in the face like Ryoga's fist, "Ranma!"_

"_Correct. The Chaos Generator was only able to be seen when he was in the presence of you, an Order Generator. When I was able to see him, he was hurt, badly. One arm seemed to be out of use and he was covered in blood. He was able to apprehend six of the seven, but that was it. It was hard to see his fights because of his chaos, but when ever he approached one of the seven, it would turn black. When the darkness left, Ranma's opponent was left on the ground, dead or unconscious. However, when he faced what seemed to be the leader, Ranma's blackness was suddenly snuffed out. The man left with just a scratch."_

_The Queen felt dizzy with all the new information. After finally gaining her bearings, she asked, "What about our armies? Surely those seven couldn't take them all out."_

_Mihoshi bit her lip, "It's hard to say. There was no army when the seven came."_

_Crystal finally lost her cool, "WHAT?"_

"_I'm sorry, but the army was somehow lost before then. I was unable to see how."_

_The stressed Queen pulled out a bottle of sake, "Well... shit." As a side thought, she added, "Give me your staff, the punishment still stands."_

_End Flashy..._

Even if the possibility was small, at least Ranma gave them a fighting chance. With a resigned sigh, Crystal said, "Tell me everything."

XXXX

_Darkness. It was the nightmares all over again. The pain is soon to come right? Just like last time and the time before that. Any minute now. Bring on the pain..._

"_Get up you fool." A sharp voice broke Ranma out of his sorrow. He jerked his vision towards where he thought the voice was but only found more darkness._

_Seeing that nothing was going to happen to him, Ranma asked, "Who are you?"_

_With a mirthless huff, the voice said, "A pain."_

_Ranma raised an eyebrow at nothing. "That explains a lot."_

_Silence reigned between them, before the voice killed it mercilessly, "I am what holds your memories currently. I'll return them slowly. Go somewhere to hide out during this time."_

_Ranma grew a thoughtful look on his face. "So you're me in a way? Am I schizophrenic?"_

_Ranma could feel the voice smile in amusement somehow. "In a way, yes. Back to the mater at hand. When I release you from this coma I want you to ask if you can be sent somewhere so I can put them in slowly."_

_Uncertain, yet trusting himself, Ranma said, "Sure, I'll do it when you let me out."_

_A dark laugh was the last thing he heard as he was dragged back into the real world._

A chandelier met Ranma vision upon gaining consciousness. A new voice rang out, "So you finally awoke..."

Uncertainty filled Ranma's mind, it was Metaria. Remembering what his other half said, he asked, "Can you take me away? Take me somewhere I can adjust to these memories?" He could feel that he couldn't move, yet wasn't bound down. Was he really that exhausted?

"I have just the place." Feeling his ki leaving the body was somewhat familiar now. He was launched into the sky and towards a nearby bluish-white world. Metaria stepped out of her hiding place with a malignant grin. "I hope to see you soon, my key."

XXXX

It was nice living in isolation for a while, able to just enjoy nature in its beauty and escape the stress of human life. Currently, Ryu was enjoying this peace. However, this peace was interrupted by nature itself, or better yet, herself.

In front of Ryu was a woman. She had remarkable green hair. It seemed to blend with the trees around her. Her eyes were peaceful black ores, much like the signature black copper that the planet was famous for. She was magnificently beautiful, yet held that mature look that seemed to come with age. She wore a light green dress that matched the sky. It loosely hung to her curves but not in the sensual way. Something about her made people just want to hug her and call her mother. And for people who could sense ki, they would find her aura was the exact same as Ryu's, just much, much larger. It seemed like the entire planet's ki was inside her. Oh how close that was to the truth...

Ryu instantly bowed to her, "Okaa-sensei!" (3)

The woman gave a gentle laugh that lightened Ryu's heart, "Please, avatar, rise. What have I told you about bowing?"

Ryu sat up and faced her with an ashamed grin, "That 'friends don't bow to friends' and 'bowing should only be used when men-'"

"That's enough," 'Okaa-sensei' suddenly interrupted with a slight blush on her face, "I only meant the first part."

Ryu took advantage of her embarrassment. "But the second part was so useful when I-'

"Enough!" She yelled, her face flushed with slight anger and much embarrassment. "I came here for a reason. It involves Ranma." Ryu instantly sobered. "He has been capture and used. He fell under influence of the Dark Moon Kingdom. He also had a run in with Sir Anquish, a demon master that somehow fell under control of another." They both were sitting down on the soft, purple grass now, preparing for the long story. "It all started when..."

XXXX

"So that's everything?" Crystal asked, still in a daze from Nekomata's story. They were both sitting on the bed in an isolated infirmary room. Nekomata was clutching her dull grey blanket like a life-line. Crystal was holding her hand, having occasionally squeezed it as encouragement to finish the story. When it was finally over, they both had been left to their own thoughts. The Queen had gathered attention back to herself with that comment.

"Ye-yes," Nekomata shakily replied. Ranma was her last friend and happiness. After all the stuff she went through, Ranma was what kept her going. Banishment, imprisonment, experiments, enslavement, freedom, friendship, and death were her life for the years of when she first met Ranma to when she last knew him.

Crystal sighed and stood up. She reigned back her emotions and control, gathering her formal posture once again. "I will tell the biologist on Mercury to start working on a cure for your condition." Then she realized how much help Nekomata could be. "Would you like to be my secretary? You have the brains, maturity, and experience for it, and the people on your planet won't exactly let you back home with open arms."

Nekomata was in shock. Someone was willing to help _her_ of all things... people? She immediately got over it and fought back tears that welled in the corners of her eyes. She bowed as deeply as she could and choked out, "I would be honored, My Lady."

The Queen smiled and said with a satisfied grin, "Your first task is getting over formalities. I don't want a secretary who bows and wastes time on things like that. Just quick, clean following my orders."

"Of course, My... Of course," Nekomata said, fighting off the urge to bow. She sat up and got off the bed, following the Queen who had just left the room.

Later, in the palace, the two new friends were planning. Nekomata had a cybernetic clipboard that easily held 'to-do' things. The Queen was giving off the list verbally, "First, I need to send ambassadors to both Saturn and Nemesis. Second, I need to send a letter of refusal to Venus. Third, I need to up the training on all the planet's soldiers. Fourth, I need to warn the Outers to be on the look out for invaders. Fifth, I need to send word to the Biologist on Mercury that they need to start work on a cure for mutated body cells." She said the last one with a wink to her secretary.

Just then, a soldier burst through the throne room doors, "My Lady! I bring good news! Senshi Nemesis has returned from isolation. The Silent Chaos are offering a temporary alliance!" The new recruit was practically bouncing with joy at the fact that she didn't have to worry about fighting with someone from Nemesis anymore.

Crystal and Nekomata blinked at that. Nekomata said in a blank tone, "Task one, complete."

Crystal nodded, still in a daze at that. In her mind, something else was going on all together, _What are you thinking, Ryu-kun? I KNOW that you haven't been able to convince all the people on Nemesis to join us yet? What is going on?_

Just then, the proud and only male Senshi burst through the doors with confident steps. At his sides were _Military General_ Uzuki, Fugao and Nemesisian Ambassador Hakko Hayate. Instead of bowing to the Queen, like his two escorts did, Ryu boldly walked up to the throne and kissed the Queen. He broke the kiss, leaving a blushing and flustered Queen behind. He said with a large smile, "I finally did it. I convinced both the military and political parties to allow the alliance, even if it's only temporary."

Not fully recovered from the surprising kiss, the Queen asked, "H-How?"

He looked from side to side before whispering, "I'll tell you later."

On that day of July 16, 722, the Moon Kingdom and the Silent Chaos, as some revolutionaries called them, formed an alliance.

XXXX

It was very cold. That was the first thing Ranma noticed. When he opened his eyes, he saw why. He was in the middle of a blizzard. The icy wind bit at his exposed skin, and he looked for his options.

Option 'A' was: go to the mountains where there was a chance of food and shelter.

And Option 'B' was: go to the rugged looking village and get warm next to that large... purple bonfire in the center.

He chose very carefully and wisely... "Oi! You guys have any food?" He shouted as he ran in the direction of the village. When he got their, he did a dead stop.

The village was unusual for this type of weather. The homes were just huts made out of thick animal skin. The doors for them were just a flap of hide that blew with the howling wind. The skin they were made out of were a light brown in color. There were maybe twenty-five huts in all. There were no livestock or any forms of plant life to show as evidence of food. The 'roads' were made out of packed snow that hasn't turned into ice yet. The warm fire in the center seemed to not melt the snow around it.

The villagers were also strange. They were maybe two and a half feet tall each. Each was very bulky. Their exposed skin was a light blue and a snow white mix, making them easily blend with the snow around them. They had black hair that spewed out of the tops of their heads. The strands were maybe a centimeter thick each and they stretched out in strange hair-styles. They looked kind of like spider-legs. The only way to tell them apart from each other was by their hair style alone. They had green eyes with slitted, deep blue pupils that reflected their animalistic nature. They had no noses, and little holes in the sides of their heads were the only signs of ears. Through the open mouths, Ranma could see human-like teeth – sharp in front, flat in back. Some began to surround Ranma, holding various weapons. Spears and shields were the most common, but some had magic swimming around their hands, visible through the raging blizzard.

_They can't speak_, Ranma thought to himself as he stared at each one. He didn't know how he knew, but he did know. The one in front of him seemed to be the leader. It had a Mohawk of the spider-leg hair. It held a long spear and its shield held a picture of a fearsome looking demon. It suddenly stomped down on the ice and gave a fierce glare to the things around Ranma. Suddenly, the midget things made a ring around the two and held their spears up. They made a wall with their shield, holding the two in.

Ranma got the message immediately, it was a duel. Knowing that he couldn't negotiate, he drew his scythe. As a signal for starting the duel, it stomped the spear on the ground three times before charging. It was surprisingly fast for its size. And strong if the parry was any indication.

Ranma parried the first spear thrust and acknowledged the strength behind it. He then did a sweep with the scythe, much like if he was harvesting grain, which the midget thing jumped over. It didn't waste the jump, however. It used the upward momentum to get a strike at Ranma's face. Ranma quickly stretched backwards, making the spear miss his nose by mere centimeters. Using gravity to his advantage, Ranma swung his scythe to exactly where the creature should land. The creature used its crude, white shield to parry the blow and it rolled forward upon landing.

The roll made Ranma's next strike miss, and the creature got the spear into Ranma's foot. Ranma began hopping around holding his foot, looking very foolish. The beast sudden bounced back up and threw the spear at Ranma. Ranma blocked the pain in his foot and intercepted the spear with his scythe. The throw patched more power than he was prepared for, and he was knocked back a few feet, right into the wall of shields. To his surprise, the wall didn't even budge on impact.

Ranma got up and shook the cob-webs out of his head. He picked up the dropped scythe and began to focus. The thing no longer had a spear. He charged and, trying not to kill it, attacked with the staff part. To his surprise, the creature grabbed the wood and tore it out of Ranma's hands. It suddenly gripped it and began to attack, making Ranma deadpan.

"_Use this,"_ a voice suddenly said in Ranma's head. He recognized it as his darker half. It sent him a memory:

_Ranma was blasted back by the force of the water. After it stopped, she rose again. She felt something unusual though. It was in her right arm. She felt pain. Her eyes widened. PAIN! She has use of it again. She chucked the scythe away and charged the shocked Tachi, attacking with regular martial arts._

Ranma got the message and began looking around for cold water. He suddenly stopped and sighed. There was only ice. He tapped the snow beneath him to check for depth and density. Finding it to his satisfaction, he charged the rampaging beast. Ranma stopped an incoming blow from the staff part of the scythe and held onto it. The creature suddenly thrust the scythe up, pulling Ranma off the ground, then thrust downward, making Ranma get buried under the snow.

Ranma grinned from his new spot. How he knew that plan would work, he would never know. Then he just waited. His body heat melted the snow, and the melted snow triggered his curse. Flexing her now usable arm, Ranma jumped out of the hole.

The beast frowned when it noticed its opponent wasn't coming back up. He couldn't have been defeated that easily. Suddenly, a red haired thing rose out of it. She was something else all together. Then it frowned when it noticed this one seemed stronger.

Ranma decided to not use any special abilities. She charged the beast once again, this time armed with years of martial arts training. She quickly defeated it, Nemesisian body not weakened in any way.

The beast looked up at the victor with submission. Ranma stood over it with the scythe at its neck. It bowed its head, admiting defeat. Ranma lowered her scythe and helped it stand. They both were breathing hard, and the beast's shield and spear were tossed somewhere to the side.

When it rose, it suddenly kneeled to Ranma. All of the other villagers also kneeled to her. Somewhere in Ranma's mind, a voice spoke out to her. It told her what to say and do. Without thinking, Ranma followed the order. She mumbled a few words of magic before waving her hand before them all. A sudden power lurched through her and out of the hand. The power became too great for Ranma to continue, and she began to lose consciousness. Her last thought was her recognizing that the voice was her magic's. (4)

XXXX

Ranma awoke sore all over. She felt a burning pain on her left shoulder. She placed her hand over the apparent wound and looked around.

Ranma recognized that she was in one of the huts, evident by the light-brown walls that were made of animal hide. Her bed was an animal fur, bluish in color. There were three of the villager things in there with her. One of which was the one she fought. "You are awake, master," the warrior said while kneeling to her.

Ranma raised an eyebrow. "So you _can_ speak." She sat up slightly bringing more pain to her shoulder. She winced, but stayed upright. One of the villagers, which she guessed to be female by its hairstyle, handed her a flask of water. She murmured thanks before downing the liquid. It was only after the flask was empty that she realized that it wasn't water. It had a nice flavor to it, and for some reason she felt like she had a five course meal after she drank it. "What was that stuff?"

The 'woman' spoke, "Nutrients enriched plasma. We call it Liquid Life. It hydrates the body while supplying what just about every biological organism needs to stay functioning." Ranma shook her head in wonder. There was no way she could call these people barbarians.

"How do you make it?" Ranma had noticed that there was no possible source for it besides the snow, seeing as to how there was nothing else to make it with. If it was something simple, she would never have to worry about starving again.

The third creature hesitated, before smiling nervously and saying, "That is one of our best kept secrets. We have told no one of it before... But, you are not just anyone. You are now our master, and we would be honored to share it with you."

Ranma frowned. "Wait, what do you mean master? All I did was defeat that guy in a duel."

The third creature's eyes widen in shock. "You mean to tell me that you defeated our guardian not knowing a thing about demon enthrallment?"

"Wait, demon enthrallment? You people are demons? What the hell is going on here?" Ranma was at complete loss. These things didn't strike her as man-eating, evil-bound devils, and now she was the master of them?

"I see I have much to explain. Yes, we are demons. We are the familiar known as Urgoks, created by the great Demonata Madam Marietta herself. We were freed by her unfortunate death around 2,000 years ago. We installed Kresh here as our guardian. By demon law, if our guardian is defeated in battle by death or submission, the victor becomes our master, and we become magically bound to him or her. The fact that you are human does surprise me, but one as powerful and magically attuned as yourself should know demon law by now."

Ranma was dazed by the news. She shook her head to clear it and asked, "Well, since you brought it up, can you explain demon law to me?"

The demon stood up straight and proud as he said, "Certainly sir!" He ushered out Kresh and the girl before hurrying back in. "Now, the law I explained to you was demon code 46 paragraphs 1 and 2. Where shall I start?"

As a joke, Ranma said, "How about with what comes after two?"

The demon nodded and said, "Certainly, sir. Paragraphs three through twelve go as followed. In order for the demon lord to-"

"Whoa! Slow down there. I was only joking," Ranma interrupted. "Wait, twelve paragraphs in only one code? How long is this thing?"

The still unnamed demon smiled in understanding, "There are 666 codes with ten to fifteen paragraphs each. Each paragraph holds one law. It comes to a total of 7,992 laws, sir." He continued smiled, oblivious to Ranma's face-fault.

"Alright, first thing first, stop calling me sir. If you must call me something, call me Ranma. Second, tell me your name. Third, start with code 1, paragraph 1. We have time, so you don't need to cram all 8,000 laws into my head in one night."

"7,992 laws, si- Ranma," the demon corrected. "And my name is Adafild. Now, demon code 1 paragraph 1 clearly states that each demon must follow its master's orders at all times, no matter the cost. Failure in following an order results in death by either its master's hand or the magic binding it. Paragraph 2 states that the master can summon their demons at any time to help for any reason, the most common being battle. Paragraph 3 states that while the master controls all of their demons, he or she will usually keep one or two with them at all times as personal assistance so that they do not have to waste energy for summons on simpler tasks..." The list continued on and on.

Fifteen minutes into the lecture, Ranma noticed it was more of a guideline for how to behave as a master or familiar than a set of laws. Less than half actually held a punishment for not being upheld. She soaked up as much knowledge as she could, stopping thirty minutes into it to help absorb what she learned. She promised to continue the day after and felt like sleeping until then. Adafild bid her goodnight and the promise to help Ranma adjust to the village and culture of demons.

XXXX

"Amazing..." Crystal breathed out after hearing Senshi Nemesis's story. "To think one person could be so influential." They had moved to a private room where they could speak without prying ears.

Ryu smiled slyly. "And that comes from the person who could declare war on the universe in a single word."

Crystal shook her head. "No, I couldn't. I guide my people, but I am practically run by the other powers. She just talked to the people and they turned from haters to lovers. It's amazing."

"Yeah, I guess it is. I also have news on Ranma," he said a little sadly.

The Queen let a single tear down her face as she said, "I already heard. It's so awful. I wish there was something I could do."

Ryu seemed surprised that she knew, but he didn't press. He just nodded his head and embraced her.

XXXX

The dreams that night for Ranma were rather unpleasant. It was of the attempted assassination of Hotaru through arriving at the prison. Ranma was disturbed by his actions. He not only killed the guy, but he also took out his anger on Senshi Pluto. It was understandable on _why_ he did it, but he was sure that he had more self control that that. It was strange though, how the man not only came back alive, but also had those duplicates helping him. He only got a flash of the room that the clones took him to, but he had a feeling he would be seeing that room often in the near future.

The dark voice had returned after the dream. Ranma wasn't sure if he was still dreaming, as he was in the blackness, but the voice came back and explained a few things. It reminded him of how bad some of the memories are, and that he needed to take them one at a time after much preparation. The voice explained that he would describe the memory before actually having Ranma view it. It would help lessen the damage caused. Ranma became very apprehensive of the near future.

Needless to say, Ranma woke up the next morning with a very troubled mind. She didn't get up or move after she cracked her eyelids open, merely lay there, staring at the wall. After a few minutes of just watching, she sat up, wincing at the pain it brought her shoulder. There was a tattoo there, red as the blood flowing through her veins. The design was complicated, and it held no pattern. Crimson strands that looked like the Urgoks' hair stretched and intertwined with each other. In the center, at the base of all the strands, was what looked to be the sun or a ball of flames - she couldn't tell. In the center of the fiery orb was a black slit. It looked very much like an eye. Adafild said that the fiery orb was the mark of Madam Marietta. He also said the tattoo was his mark of ownership. It showed that he was their master.

While Ranma didn't hate her female form anymore, she did prefer her male side. She cast a simple warm water spell above her, an advantage of being in the presence of so many demons. He gave a sigh of relief when he gained his birth form back. He gave a different sigh when he noticed that it was still crippled. He would have to start training once again. Grabbing a thick cloak laid out before him, Ranma got out of bed and stretched for a bit before walking outside.

He stood just outside his hut, transfixed at the activities of the villagers. They all had their own tasks to do, wordlessly going from place to place. They worked together, but didn't speak. It was like they knew what each other were thinking. Another thing he noticed was that just about every task was associated with magic. They would grow a black tree out of the snow, chop it up, and levitate it to the large fire and throw the pieces in. Not an ounce of physical work was done. Others would forge weapons, but even that was done magically. One would levitate the metal. Another would cast a heavy-duty fire spell, spraying jets of molten liquid over the metal. Another would make sure to keep the ground from melting. And finally a forth would cast a pressurizing spell on the metal, shaping it into a weapon. It was a beautiful process in Ranma's opinion.

Shaking his head, he began to walk down the packed snow in search of something to do. Towards the outer edge of the village, he noticed a large group of Urgoks. They looked to be preparing for war, each equipping weapons and armor. At the lead was Kresh, equipped only in his spear and shield. He had a large scimitar on his back, but that looked to be a last resort weapon. Kresh's green eyes lit up in excitement when he noticed Ranma. He stomped the ground once and kneeled. The group kneeled as well.

Ranma scratched the back of his head nervously, not entirely sure what to do. Going with his instincts, he said, "Rise. Guardian Kresh, where are you headed?" The group rose and began finishing their preparations. Kresh walked up to Ranma with short, purposeful strides.

Once within reasonable distance, Kresh stopped walking, bowed once, and said, "Sir, we are the hunting party that searches for other demons to kill. We need their hides to make our homes. Also, they make for terrific meals."

Ranma scratched his chin thoughtfully. "A hunting party, huh? Mind if I join you? I need to regain my strength in this form, and a good fight ought to be a great way to start."

"Of course, sir, your wish is my command. Our usual hunts bring in three of the Slythes. As a precaution, I ask that you watch us kill the first one, and then you are free to participate in killing the others," Kresh seemed to be really nervous at asking for his master to do something.

"That seems reasonable," Ranma reassured. Kresh visibly relaxed. "So where are these... Slythes?"

"Inside the mountains is their territory. Anything on or around the mountains is free game, sir." The party began their trek forward. Ranma noticed that every warrior but Kresh had a full suit of body armor on.

"Why not kill a few inside the mountain?" The entire party stopped and stared at him in shock. Ranma grew nervous again. "What?"

Kresh stomped twice, signaling for the group to continue onward, but he pulled Ranma aside to talk to him as they walked at a much slower pace. "Right, I forgot you don't know the demon law. If an outsider enters a demon's territory it is seen as an invasion and an act of war. While we are perfectly capable of handling a few Slythes, they are much more numerous than us. I'm sure we would be able to defeat them, but the cost would be too great. And if we do kill all of them, we will no longer have a supply of hides or meat. War with them would be devastating."

Ranma was shocked at how much could happen by such an insignificant action. Remembering what Adafild had told him, he asked, "What if I go down there and defeat their guardian?"

Kresh didn't look at Ranma as he answered, "If they had one, you would be a master of two races, sir. However, they already have a master. If you got to demon code 46 paragraph 3, you would know that the only way to enthrall a race that already has a master is to kill the master. While your skills are great, you are no match for their master."

"Who is their master?" Ranma asked.

Kresh stopped walking and finally faced Ranma. "Sir, there are a few things you need to know on the history of this planet. Madam Marietta created every species here with emotions incapable of demons. She made us with love and care. That was unheard of. The other masters resented her for that. However, there was one who didn't just plain out hate her. He was different then the rest of the masters, more powerful. He had such an understanding of human emotions that one would wonder if he felt them himself. His name was Lord Loss." Kresh spat out the name like it wasn't even worthy of being in his mouth. "He came here one day, started a race of his own. He and Madam Marietta got along. Eventually, their 'relationship' got to the point where you humans would consider it love.

"One day, however, the bastard's true intentions were revealed. His demons began to attack everything around them, slaughtering all in their path. So many of the races here were peaceful and had no knowledge of warfare. They were massacred. When Madam Marietta tried to help her familiar, Lord Loss confronted her. He revealed that, while he did indeed have an intimate understanding of human emotion, he thrived off misery and thus only searched for it. Any other emotion was a hindrance.

"The two lurched into an immense battle that left this entire planet scarred. While righteous angry fueled her power, the betrayal dampened her spirit. As the battle stretched on, the bastard began to gain the upper hand. When it became obvious to both that he would be the victor, Madam Marietta pulled out her most powerful spell. The incantation took two hours, during which she had summoned her army to defend her. I was there... during the war. I saw countless friends and companions get cut down by the hands of the bastard and his army. When she finished her spell, I saw her body glowing with power. Blue light burned brighter than the light of any star. I felt where she got that power. The entire planet was drained, the star above us dimmer. The very air around us was no longer thick with magic. She banished the army, sending each of us back to our homes. Even from the village, we could feel the effects of her spell.

"It was a master banishment spell. Only the greatest of demons could harbor the power needed before channeling it into the target. In horror, we gated to the spot of the battle. It was too late. Where mountains once towered and forests covered, there was a giant crater. There was no life in a thirty mile radius. We felt the link between us shatter. We knew that she was dead. That's not all that died, however. We, the Urgoks, we are the last of Madam Marietta's demons, but we are not the last on the planet. The Slythes are the race that the bastard left behind. He made them for the sole purpose of war and slaughtering. He also made them in masses for an overwhelming force. While many were killed in the war, many lived after."

Ranma took a breath of air to clear his head. After a few seconds of gathering his thoughts, he said, "Wow... This Lord Loss guy sounds pretty bad. To thrive off misery... Did he survive the attack?"

Kresh began walking again, and Ranma had to make long strides to keep up with his pace. "Yes, he survived... The banishment spell is not a spell meant to kill. It traps the recipient in a seal of great power for thousands of years. Right now, he is rotting in the lowest pit of demon hell where even the vilest of creatures cannot dwell with sick pleasure. That thought alone satisfies us, that he is getting his just desserts. He deserves nothing less than that."

"I see," Ranma said with a slight breathlessness. That was some pretty strong magic. He noticed that they had caught up with the hunting party and were once again leading. The rest of the trip was done in silence.

They didn't stop when they reached the base of the mountains, and charged at a soldier's pace up it. They reached the halfway point of the first peak when they changed course. A winding path led from mountain to mountain. Black bridges connected where no paths were available. At some points, the paths led to large yet concealed openings in the mountains. Ranma guessed that that was where the Slythes lived.

Kresh scanned the broad mountains in search for possible prey. Nothing seemed visible, but if he was disappointed, he didn't show it. They continued down the trail, crossing the bridge and began scanning the second mountain. They came across one of the demons.

The Slythe was like a mutated bear. While on all four legs, it still towered at ten feet. Instead of brown fur covering it, the light-brown hide that the huts were made of stretched over it. On its face, on either sides of its muzzle, two bladed extensions came out like tusks. However, unlike a tusk, it was attached to a thick muscle and was able to be moved like a deadly limb. The demon only had one large, yellow, slitted-pupil eye at the center of its forehead. It growled menacingly at the group before it.

Kresh told Ranma to stand back before stomping the ground three times, making the group spring into action. They broke off into a half circle and surrounded it, forcing it into a cliff. The Slythe retaliated and swung a blade-tusk at the Urgoks, who in turn raised their shields. The shields didn't even budge from the blow, but the metal dented inward. The Urgoks didn't seem phased by the attack. Kresh jumped over the half circle with his spear in throwing form.

The projectile left the Guardian's hand and plunged into the Slythes eye in one fluid movement. The spear sunk in deep, ripping apart the brain behind the sensitive organ. A burst of yellow fluid burst out of the eye before the beast stumbled and collapsed. The Urgoks who had dented shields began repairing them while the rest moved towards the downed beast. Three of them were somehow able to lift the giant and began the trek back to the village. Two additional Urgoks left with them.

After Kresh retrieved his weapon and was in the process of cleaning it, he addressed Ranma's confused look. "The two are for protection incase additional Slythes try to ambush them. Usually we are able to find one before getting this deep in the mountains so the guards aren't necessary. With only seven hunters left, we will only be able to gain one more Slythe before we must return."

Ranma nodded his understanding. He asked, "Is the eye the only way to kill these?"

Kresh shrugged and lifted his spotless spear, checking for any missed smudges. "No, it is merely the easiest and safest. Back in the war, before we knew of the weakness, we were forced to bleed it out. In that time, one of these would usually be able to strike down a few of us." Kresh's eyes hardened at memories. "But we learned. Madam Marietta taught us to survive, to hunt, to kill. These are no more than child's play now."

Ranma looked out into the mountains, looking for any visible signs of more Slythes. It looked barren. The group of eight moved on to the third mountain. There they encountered another Slythe. Ranma was given the task of finishing this one off. He unhooked his scythe and pounded the group three times with it, something he learned to be the code for entering combat. The group was no longer able to surround the beast, but they still intimidated it into backing against the wall.

Ranma jumped up and prepared for the finishing swing. He suddenly cursed when he realized he forgot to check the planet's gravity. He shot over the beast and hit the cliff that it was backed against. Kresh didn't waste time as he leaped over the shield wall and released his spear once again. It hit its mark flawlessly. The beast collapsed, providing a nice cushion as Ranma fell out of his new hole in the mountain.

Although they didn't laugh, Ranma felt each of their amusement at his mistake through the link in his tattoo. Just when Kresh was about to make a comment, Ranma cut him off with a glare and said, "Don't forget who beat you in a duel."

The other Urgoks, unable to contain their mirth any longer, began laughing at their Guardian. Kresh muttered under his breath but soon joined in the laughter. The group gathered their game and began to head back to the village. However, when they got back to the first mountain, they encountered another Slythe. Kresh became excited that they would have a complete hunt.

Ranma stepped in front of the group. He starred the menacing beast in the eye and said, "Alright, I want to get this one by myself."

"Sir?" Kresh asked, stepping towards his master. "I don't think it's wise. I don't doubt your ability to fight, but this is a risk you shouldn't take." Slythes were fairly agile for their size, that was why they cornered one to a cliff before finishing it. To fight one on open space was a very dangerous thing to do.

Ranma pulled out his scythe. "I'll be fine. Besides, I need to make up for what happened back there." His confident tone didn't alleviate the bad feeling Kresh had.

The three hunters not holding the dead Slythe and Kresh moved forward cautiously. "Sir, I-" One thump of Ranma's scythe on the ground cut him off. Reluctantly, Kresh and the other hunters kneeled.

Ranma turned to the group and smiled, "Don't worry. I've fought stronger before." He turned back to the Slythe and grinned.

Ranma, now certain of the gravity, sheathed his scythe and lunged towards the demon. He maneuvered his body while in the air, as he learned on Mars, to dodge one of the tusk-blades. He landed on its back and in a quick motion hit its head with his left fist. Ranma then flipped off the beast when it started thrashing. The Slythe caught sight of him and charged in a rage. Ranma ducked under the blades but was hit with a surprisingly quick paw. He flew back and hit the cliff wall.

The Urgoks were forced to remain kneeled as they watched their master fight the demon. Although he ruled them, he was still a human. He was only barely stronger than their Guardian. They wished for nothing more than to stand and help fight, but they could not until Ranma himself said 'rise' or he died. However, they watched with growing enthusiasm as their master proved himself to be stronger than they thought.

Ranma rolled away from the wall when the beast charged once again. He escaped just in time as the spot he was standing at was smashed into falling chunks of ice. Ranma approached the dazed beast with a grin as the fight took a hold of him. The Slythe regained its senses and stood on its hind legs in an intimidating challenge. It stood at around twenty feet like that. Ranma didn't falter as he jumped up and kicked it in the stomach. The demon winced from the blow and tried to strike Ranma with its paw.

Ranma grabbed the paw that was trying to swat him and used it to flip around and began running down the arm to its head. He hit it where the tusk-blade connected with the maw, earning him a satisfying crunch as the weaker bones holding the blade broke. The right tusk-blade became useless and dangled at the side of the beast's face. The Slythe became enraged and smashed its own head into the cliff, catching Ranma off guard. Ranma slammed into the ice, the immense force of the Slythe crashing into his back.

Ranma grunted and allowed himself to fall to the ground. He quickly rolled to the side and sprang up with a wicked kick that made the Slythe stumble. It retaliated by swinging its other tusk-blade at him which Ranma back-flipped over and landed on. Ranma let another punch connect with the bear-demon's nose. Blood oozed down it as Ranma flipped off its body. The bear recklessly began trying to bite him, its face becoming more and more bloody as Ranma would dodge and it's face would slam into the ground.

Ranma jumped back for some breathing room and shouted, "_MOKO TAKABISHA REVISED, apathetic edition."_ The ball of ki slammed into the bear with enough force to knock it off its feet and into the cliff wall. Ranma followed up by charging and yelling, "_KACHU TENSHIN AMAGURIKEN!_" Hundreds of one-armed blows hammered down on stunned Slythe. As a finisher, Ranma yelled his most powerful attack, "_FUBUKI SOUSOU!" _The snowy air powered up the attack with enough negative ki to demolish the mountain if he wished. Instead, it was focused and left a thick hole through the Slythe's body.

Ranma stood there panting, observing how much of the greenish blood was splattered across the cliff ledge. He looked at the demon to see it getting back up. Ranma, although severely drained, resumed his fighting stance. The bear steadied itself on its legs, thick blood oozing from the hole. However, it looked none the worse for wear.

Kresh suddenly realized something. His master wasn't using any magic. Without magic, a demon couldn't be killed. Their weapons were infused with it because of that. Even Ranma's weapon carried some traces of it, as he remembered from his duel. He feared his master didn't know and shouted, "Master! Use magic to kill it! Use your scythe!"

Ranma yanked his Nemesisian weapon out and swung it in a well practiced motion, slicing a good portion of the Slythe's maw. For the first time, the beast roared in pain. Ranma flipped over it, landing on its back. He twisted the scythe and beheaded the Slythe. As the bear-demon collapsed, Ranma jumped off its back and landed before the Urgoks. He said while slightly out of breath, "Rise." Stunned, the group didn't move for a second.

Kresh was first to move. He stood and then bowed deeply. "You were holding back in our fight yesterday."

Ranma clasped arms with the Urgok, taking him out of the bow. "So were you, if the magic I've seen you guys do in the village is any indication. I figured it was a melee only fight."

Kresh looked at the demon and watched as the other three hunters picked up the main body, leaving the decapitated head behind. "Melee or not, you were holding back, master."

Ranma looked uncomfortable by the title. "Just call me Ranma."

Kresh bowed again. "As you wish, Master Ranma." Ranma sighed and began walking back to the village. They were received with cheer from the villagers when they saw Ranma covered in the Slythe's blood and that they were carrying two more corpses back.

Ranma spent the rest of the day learning to skin the demons, with magic of course, and how they cooked the meat. While doing so, many introduced themselves, making Ranma struggle to match hairstyles with names. Every now any then he noticed slight skin color differences and eye peculiarities, but for the most part they all looked the same. He learned each one's job in the village and skills that went with it. He met Kiira the enchantress, Uthrok the blacksmith, Listra the gardener, Femern the hunter, Hemild the cook, Yarek the brewer, Emalk the leatherworker, the list went on… With so many names, Ranma was glad he would be around for a while to have time to learn them.

As they sat around the purple bonfire, Ranma took a bite of his meat before speaking to Adafild, "So this Liquid Life, how do you make it?"

Adafild took a bite of his own meat before answering. "Well, first we have our gardeners grow a special plant. The plant is a custom hybrid that carries all the nutrients that we believe we need. Then the brewers extract its fluids into a bowl. They chill it with snow that they allow to melt and turn it more liquidy. Then our enchanters cast several spells which allow all the nutrients to be absorbed into the body, to become filling enough for a meal, and preserve it. Then we put the liquid into our pouches for later use. The whole process only takes an hour for each flask."

Ranma didn't know how to respond to that so he just nodded. It made sense to him, but he knew he wouldn't be able to recreate it for personal use. He figured he could just summon a few Urgoks to bring him some if he needs it later. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Kresh grinning at what he guessed was a female Urgok while flexing. The Guardian whispered some things to her than suddenly turned her snow white skin a few shades grey before she scurried off, Kresh following after her while laughing.

Adafild caught Ranma watching them and said with an elderly sigh, "Ah, the youth and their love."

Ranma turned a bewildered expression towards the aged Urgok. "What?"

Adafild had finished his meat and stared into the fire with his hands folded across each other. "As absurd as it sounds, Madam Marietta made us capable of love. We procreate instead of being spawned. Kresh is a young warrior, and Hemild is a fine, young female. They have been together for quite some time now."

Ranma looked off to where he saw the Guardian had ran to, his expression horrified. "So right now, they are…"

"We might expect some baby Urgoks soon," Adafild said solemnly. Ranma blanched, to which Adafild started laughing. "You are too easy, si- Ranma. With our extended life spans, having children is a very rare thing. We haven't had any in over 200 years. "

Ranma didn't look relieved, but that tidbit of information on their culture was interesting to him. He noticed the apparently aged Urgok studying him closely. Ranma finished his food as he waited for him to speak. When Adafild's eyes returned to Ranma's, he said, "I've been studying your curse, as you previously mentioned. It is complex magic: definitely the work of a greater demon master or a magician. I wouldn't be able to break it, but I can teach you how to use your power to trigger it."

Ranma turned interested. That would be a great help. "Would I have to be in the presence of demons for this to work though?"

Adafild looked thoughtful for a moment. "I don't believe so, but it may take more effort and a portion of your magic to do so while away from us."

Ranma shrugged, eager for an opportunity of control. "I don't mind."

"Alright, well, your curse is obviously water based mixed with temperature based. When you change, do you notice anything?"

"A slight tingling feeling in my skin," Ranma grunted.

Adafild looked thoughtful again. "The skin you say? Hmm, well, that is a problem. That means the curse is also location based. As a human, your magic isn't as defined as ours. You don't control it, your need controls it. While in the presence of Demonata, if you want fire, you just have to wish it to have a flame. For us, we need to spread our magic to our hands and ignite it and then control and maintain the flame for the same effect. I believe that, due to the complexity of your curse, you cannot guide it with your magic. You will have to wish for the change of form to make it happen; you must do unconscious magic."

Ranma frowned. "So I just need to wish for a change in form in order for to change?" At Adafild's reluctant nod, Ranma began concentrating. He focused on his female form and wished to be it. After a few seconds, nothing happened. Ranma opened his eyes and frowned.

Adafild shrugged and suggested, "Why don't you try to recreate the feeling of the transformation."

Ranma tried again. He focused on the image of his female form, how it looked. He focused on what it felt like to be splashed with cold water, the tingling feeling. He was concentrating so hard he nearly missed the actual tingling that went throughout him. Ranma opened her eyes and gasped, noticing her forced change. Adafild smiled at her, proud of the accomplishment. Ranma closed her eyes and did the same thing for the male form. It wasn't nearly as hard.

Ranma switched between his forms with glee, each time finding it easier. Eventually he could switch instantly on whim. Adafild congratulated him. Ranma in turned bowed deeply and thanked him profusely. Adafild looked horrified at getting bowed to by his master. He was so speechless he couldn't even think of law that it violated. Ranma righted himself, hugged Adafild, and danced away, changing forms along the way.

Urgoks began gathering around the dancing and singing boy, then girl, then boy again, then girl. Soon, they all began dancing with him with what they thought was some hidden human festival. Ranma was laughing with happiness as he danced with some Urgok that he couldn't tell the gender of. She switched to another Urgok as the dance continued. Ranma went back and forth with different Urgoks each time, changing his gender with each partner.

Adafild watched Ranma in stunned silence, still glued to his spot next to the bonfire. After a few minutes of the celebration, the dance slowed to a stop and Ranma returned to his seat. Adafild finally worked his way out of his stupor and waited for Ranma to speak.

After relaxing for a bit by the fire, Ranma finally asked, "So shall we continue going over the demon law now?"

Adafild looked pleased at being able to discuss the laws. "I agree that it would be best." He launched right into the lesson, "Now, demon code 8 paragraph 1 states that if a master demands a demon's magic, the demon must give it under penalty of death, even if the result is death. It is not uncommon for a master to sacrifice one demon to summon his entire army."

"Wait," Ranma interjected, "Are you saying that I can sacrifice one of you guys to bring in the entire village to wherever I am?"

Adafild gave a small smile. "Yes, Ranma. By sacrificing one of your familiar, you will have no loss in your magic when summoning the rest."

Ranma looked shocked. "That's horrible."

"It is an honor to be sacrificed for your master," Adafild said with conviction. "When Madam Marietta summoned her army to hold fight off Lord Loss, it was my brother she used. It was the happiest moment in his life."

Ranma frowned. "But, according to code 1 paragraph 6 couldn't you all have just gated to her?"

"No. When we gate, we use the magic in the air. For such a large force to use that much magic in gating, the planet would run dry and implode," Adafild said with a frown of his own. Ranma didn't pursue the subject, so he continued, "Now, demon code 8 paragraph 2 states…" The lessons continued for thirty minutes before Ranma retired for bed.

XXXX

That night, the darker half of Ranma appeared before him.

_Ranma looked at his darker self. Before the other could speak, he asked, "I'm just curious, if you're the darker half, am I the lighter half? Are we like split into two halves?"_

_The dark Ranma grinned, "No, you are the normal Ranma, with me being the evil that's in you. There is a third person, the one you mentioned: the lighter half. Unfortunately, he couldn't make it here." A Ranma in a white uniform, with his face locked in a serene grace, that bound and gagged appeared in front of the duo. He made some muffled sounds before he vanished. The darker Ranma grinned again._

_Ranma frowned. "Oh…"_

"_Anyways… Tonight's memories aren't going to be fun. It's your first night in that damn cell. I'll describe it the best I can. You're chained to the wall, a kid is chained next to you, and next to him is an arm chained to the wall. You'll have some rotten food you won't eat. The kid next to you, his name is Maggot. You give him the food. You'll talk a bit before the door opens. Some fat-ass pig demon enters. Trust me, he's ugly. That's the scariest part about it. He talks with some stupid accent before injecting a chemical into your bone. That hurts, by the way. Then you'll be out like a light._

"_Then there's the nightmares. These are important. They are painful. The first is the neko-ken training followed by your mom trying to kill you…" The dark Ranma explained the rest of the nightmares on the first night. When he was finished, he released the memories._

_The regular Ranma relived through each bit. It was just as agonizing as the first time, but he at least knew what was coming and was able to prepare for it. That made it bearable, but he was anxious for the morning so it would end._

XXXX

In the morning, Ranma woke up in a cold sweat. He was relieved to be out of the nightmares and back into the real world – or whatever the planet could be called. He got dressed and stepped outside.

A pattern soon emerged for Ranma on the world of demons. Everyday, he would train. That meant either sparring with Kresh or hunting – which they did once a week. Ranma's body began to get back into shape while Kresh was able to get more skilled from constantly training with his master. Every night, Ranma would learn the demon laws with Adafild for thirty minutes. Sometimes, however, they would practice certain techniques for demon masters like summoning or Ranma using an Urgok's magic.

When he went to sleep, Ranma would relive his past memories with the dark Ranma explaining each detail vividly beforehand to prepare him for them. As more and more memories were released, Ranma became colder and more affected from his memories. Although his familiar noticed his slowly changing mood, they never mentioned it. Many times, Ranma would blaze away from the village, into the Slythe Mountains, only to come back later covered in gore.

Ranma became more powerful than he was before capture, with Kresh rising at an equal rate. Apparently, demons had a high threshold for power. As they grew more powerful, they stayed more powerful. The duels between the two moved from melee and weapons to ones that involved magic. They clashed against each other with such powerful that they were forced to duel away from the village due to collateral damage. Although much weaker than Kresh in the matters of magic, Ranma made up for it with his ki.

The two would often go out on hunting parties together, each able to carry a Slythe back to the village. Many of the other hunters took to dueling to increase their strength, but they could never get close to power that their Guardian and Master achieved.

After a year of this lifestyle, Ranma had come to the last of his dreams. The dark Ranma informed him that it was, in fact, three weeks left, but it was important to have them all together. He could release the memories at whatever pace he wanted and Ranma would relive them as if it was real-time, even if it only lasted a second.

"_Alright, first you are going to watch Maggot betray you. Then Sir Anquish is going to come and inject you with a new drug. This is the worst part of everything. You are on a cross, and he impales you. When he removes the bone, there are two of you, the other being your cursed form. There are two of him as well. When they impale both of you, you will feel the pain of both bones in you. Once that is done, there are three of you; the third is the neko-ken."_

_Ranma sat horrified as the dark Ranma explained what this one torture experience was going to be like. He continued, "The pattern repeats as a fourth of you is formed. This person is someone entirely new though, and you don't feel the pain of her. Pay specific attention to her as she tries to talk you through the pain. The four forms of you repeat to the thousands. The pain is ungodly. I won't lie. It broke you. After the torture, you give up. The forth person tries to talk to you, but you don't pay attention. Ranma, I want you to pay attention this time. I've seen the memories, what happens after that is very important._

"_After the torture, Mary comes in to rescue you. She breaks you out of the shackle and starts to run. Eventually, she sees demons opposing her. She is an amazing fighter, but she loses. Mary dies." Ranma felt tears well up in his eyes. "You then pick yourself up and go to a door that you unlock with magic. It's the weapons room where you pick up your scythe. I want you to memorize the weapons you see there this time. It might be important for later._

"_You leave that room and have a run in with two people talking about a demon revolt. You hide and witness them summon a demon and then enslave it. You then pass out and get captured. Now, here comes some entirely new memories. You get tortured again, but in a different way. People, humans this time, perform experiments on you. They check how strong your body is and how much it can withstand. It is agonizing, but it is nothing after the torture of the new drug. After they finish their experiments, they perform some sort of memory wipe on you. You then wake up at the school. You should know the rest from there."_

_Ranma shivered in fear at the memories he was about to receive. As the dark Ranma spoke, he had sent brief flashes of what was to be expected. He saw a flash of the torture the new drug produced; he saw Mary's final fight; he saw a flash of the enslavement; he saw a flash of the experiments. They were just appetizers before the main course. Before it began, Ranma asked, "Dark me, how come you are the one who got a hold of my memories? You never explained."_

_The darker Ranma flinched unexpectedly. With an expressionless look, he said, "Because I was the only one able to stand all the memories. You need to be as twisted as I am in order to take all those memories in one go like you had to. You're only chance was for these memories to come slowly, so I took them and did what I could so that we survive. After this last memory, I will no longer exist. We will be of one mind again, nothing to separate us like these memories. This is the last we will ever see each other."_

_Ranma nodded. With a weak grin, he said, "See you around, sexy."_

_The darker Ranma smirked, "Good luck, handsome." With that, he vanished for good and the memories came._

_As always, the dark Ranma was true to his word. The events came exactly as he said. It was only because he already went through it once, only because he knew exactly what was coming, that Ranma didn't break after the new drug. Even then, he was hanging off the cliff. The rest of the memories came like a dream, just as Ranma remembered. However, he paid attention to what the dark Ranma told him. He remembered the fourth person's word after the torture; he memorized the weapons, the most noticeable of which was Tachi's swords. The new memories with the experiments didn't hold any significance, but he made note of them too. He made sure to remember each 'experimenter's' face, made sure to remember every test. The pain they involved was barely felt. In fact, pain didn't mean anything to Ranma anymore._

XXXX

When Ranma woke up that next morning, his state of mind was exactly the same as when he was asleep. Everything came as a dream. He wasn't broken like before, no. But even so, he felt numb to everything, numb to life. He didn't care if he was alive or dead, breathing or eating. He could no longer feel. Not caring to stay down anymore, he dressed and went outside.

Ranma dueled with Kresh, this time more merciless than ever. He felt nothing from hurting his friend; no feelings that recognized him as a friend. When he was hit by an attack from the Urgok, Ranma felt something. He felt the pain, although it was almost too small to notice. Even so, he did notice it and he _felt_ it.

After the duel, when Kresh was being taken care of from the newly titled Healer Hemild, Ranma felt something else. It wasn't an emotion, but he felt two unknown presences enter his territory. He looked out to where he felt it and saw a blizzard approaching. When it washed over the village, Ranma stood still. He looked inside the blizzard, through the raging snow, to where he knew the two presences to be.

After several minutes of the storm, the blizzard died down, revealing two figures standing in a circle of the Urgoks at spear-point. Ranma approached the two intruders, not giving the order to attack. He stepped through the circle and stared at the two white-clad people. Their light blue eyes bore into his. They all shared the same dead look: Ranma and the Samui siblings. Ranma noticed, but didn't take interest to, that they had received their memories as well. Ranma held his hand out, clearing a space in the circle, and beckoned the siblings to follow him to his tent.

Once they were seated, Ranma observed the two. He saw that Yusuke no longer had the lust for killing, but he would murder on whim like before. Chiyo herself was silent death. Her eyes told him of the capacity, of the apathy. Ranma leaned back and waited for them to speak. Yusuke spoke first in a shivering tone, "Metaria-sama says time's up." Ranma didn't move or show any reaction.

Seeing Ranma's stoicism, Chiyo continued, "What is your answer?" Her once beautiful voice was now as cold as the rest of her. Both twins lived up to their name.

Ranma didn't move, but with two words he said enough, "I accept."

XXXX

Ranma didn't say goodbye to anyone. He merely left with all of their eyes on his back. He didn't think about it, but the thought was gnawing on the back of his head like a teething puppy; he was acting just like a true demon master to them. His numbness interfered with the thought actually crossing his mind, so it just sat in the back, nibbling away. They had expected a harsh master eventually, they had told Ranma. They figured a race of demons that could love would only be exterminated when that happened. They were beyond pleased when they had a human who could love take control of them. Now, he couldn't feel love. He didn't need to think it, he knew it. He was just what they expected. If he were to think about it, he would figure that the only difference was that he himself didn't exterminate them. He simple left them to die on their own.

Ranma stood outside the Urgok territory – his territory – with the duo. They turned to him and, without a word, they vanished in a blast of orange light. The feel of his ki being ripped out of him was only a tingling for Ranma. The reuniting of body and ki was merely the end of the tingling. He stood before Metaria's throne in the complete darkness. He could feel the demons hiding at the walls, but he didn't care. He could sense the woman in front of him, he could hear the siblings leave, but he didn't feel the need to acknowledge either.

Metaria spoke in her emotionless, soft tone lined with steel, "Welcome to the Dark Moon Kingdom, Ranma: codename Reaper. Report to Hi to finish your training." Ranma didn't feel the need to say anything in return so he spun and left the room in silence.

After opening the main door, Ranma didn't wince when blinding light shone into his eyes. He merely continued walking until he could make out the forms of his team. He stopped before them and waited.

Hi gave a look of pity to their newest member. It had happened to him, he remembered. His least favorite feeling as a teacher was working with children who were all so dead inside. He cut off his own emotions as he did what he had to. He handed Ranma the combat squad uniform custom-fitted for Ranma as if they knew he would be joining. Ranma shamelessly striped before the team and put on the uniform. Ranma didn't need to check to know that the Dark Moon emblem was embellished with his new codename.

As one, the team moved to the training section in the palace. Once there, they went over battle-tactics. They weren't standard battle plans, nor the usual techniques one saw in war. It was killing. Hi explained each person's part in the butcher, who would be important for killing first, and the power of killing for show. He taught them silent assassination. The tactics had no honor, no moral bound. It was killing. Killing was killing, no matter how it was done. Whether the enemy was sleeping in their bed or kneeled in defeat, he would still die. Poisoned food, a knife in the dark, a well placed explosive; all were contributed to the death that _they_ were to deal.

The tortured children felt nothing at the concept - no disgust, no remorse, no guilt. They understood in the cold logic that filled the empty space that emotions once occupied. They would do exactly as was told. They didn't care to do otherwise. After the training, the team returned to the throne room.

Ranma stood in silence next to the seven other members as they waited for the Queen to speak. Her voice came clear and sharp, "Coronis has started a rebellion against the Dark Moon Kingdom. End it." A ball of fire followed her speech, lighting up the hellish room before the group disappeared from Hi's teleportation.

XXXX

Ranma and the other six students ran across the ground, darting from shadow to shadow. The city loomed before them in the night sky. As they ran, birds would fall from the trees they ran past with shards of ice impaling their chests, thrown by Chiyo – aka Frostbite (5) - as to cover the group.

Hi was with the ship, using this as the first mission where they work on their own. He had briefed them of the people on the planet, explaining that they would alter their forms from humans to birds. He told them to take no chances and eliminate any bird they come across for no witnesses.

When they reached the outer wall of the city, they huddled together as Plague grabbed them and they slipped into the shadows. The group appeared out of the shadows on the other side of the wall and continued their run. Ranma made sure to notice the various fires that were set to several buildings. Corpses were scattered about on the streets – both Dark Moon soldiers and Coronis civilians.

The Samui siblings suddenly vanished as the air chilled and a snowstorm began. The falling snow was mixed with the falling ash from the fires and went unnoticed by the inhabitants of the city. Tachi, the once cheerful forest-girl, was a mask of death as she made a small tree with some of the magic that permeated the air and phased into it. Her codename was now Ivy. Plague fell into his own shadow. They each had their own targets to remove.

Ranma, Makusu (Golem), and Athena (already a codename), the only ones without a means of camouflage, continued onward to their main target. The palace constructed in the center held the objective. Senshi Coronis had started the rebellion and the three of them were to eliminate her. All though each one could single-handedly defeat her, the fight would be long and noticeable. By having all three, it would be quick and clean.

The Dark Moon soldiers were in a deadlock with the civilians. Although most of the city population had remained indoors and out of combat, the rebels still outnumbered them ten to one. All of their barracks had been set aflame, forcing those who could to get out into the streets where the rebels were waiting. The soldiers, only a few hundred left, reorganized into one group but were surrounded by the rebels. It was in this hopeless situation that they first noticed something happening in the shadows of their enemies.

The air had chilled several degrees. Suddenly, a sickly yellow gas seemed to be released from the ground beneath the attackers. It rose from the shadows of each rebel. When the soldiers breathed in the gas, they started chocking. The thousands of enraged civilians began to break rank as they chocked and collapsed. The ones on the edges of the mob had enough sense to break rank and try to escape. Those who ran were cut down by some unseen force. Shards of ice were found protruding from their throats or in their hearts. Several heads were impaled temple to temple.

The commanders of the rebel force facing their own problems. Vines suddenly sprout out of the ground in various places and entangled them. They turned into birds and attempted to fly away, but the vines followed them and made quick work of the weaker birds. Once the last commander was dead, a girl with long green hair seemed to phase out of the vines. She was in a black suit that held a large, embossed belt. On the belt the kanji for Ivy was seen.

Ranma and his group slipped into the palace after killing the outside guards. Blood was splattered across his chest and dripped from his scythe. The numbness was fading, as evidence for him not breaking. In its place, a pounding excitement filled him as he approached his goal. They were so close, and they were unstoppable. Just knowing that it _will_ happen and that it couldn't be stopped, but that it hadn't happened yet, left a strange, excited feeling for Ranma. He couldn't explain it but feeling it was its own story.

As they approached the royal bedchambers, they saw the guards. The two guards were women, one dressed in a red uniform and the other in blue. Before either could comment, Makusu had blurred forward with his ungodly speed and slammed them into opposite walls with sickening crunches. No one in the trio checked to see if they were still alive as they shattered the door and tore into the chambers.

Senshi Coronis was ready for them as the moment they set foot inside the room a magic attack was headed their way. Her black hair waved back from the force of her own attack. Her brown bird wings were arched back as she forced power into the beam of bluish energy. Ranma didn't hesitate as he shouted, "_MOKO TAKABISHA REVISED: apathetic edition!"_ The white ki negated her attack with a loud bang and a shockwave that left both sides stumbling.

Makusu then blurred behind her and pinned her arms against her back. Athena already had her attack formed as a ball of pure ki, infested with molten tendrils and electricity, ripped through the Senshi's body. Gore splattered the walls as the woman died before a scream could be let loose. Makusu dropped the girl to the floor, making a small plop sound as her exposed intestines squished from the impact. The trio bolted back out of the room, not even taking notice to the two guards who were still crushed into the walls, now with blood dripping down.

At the end of the hallway, Plague emmerged from a shadow, grabbed them, and slipped back into his birthright with them. They reappeared at the ship where the others were already waiting. They boarded in silence and were out of the atmosphere before the Senshi's corpse was even noticed.

XXXX

Ranma was given a small room inside the Dark Moon Citadel. As he slipped into his makeshift bed, he briefly activated his tattoo on a whim. He expressionlessly stared at the dull blue, glowing letters: Thursday, August 6, 723. Ranma didn't consciously think it, but he realized he was now twenty-three years old in this body, forty-one total. He cut off the flow of magic once again and let himself drift off into the nightmares of his past, this time unaided by the dark Ranma.

The next day, the combat squad once again stood before the Queen. "It is time to do as I promised. We shall make our move on the Moon Kingdom." Ranma noticed a small amount of adrenaline filter through his system at the thought; he was eager to finally fight the corrupt Senshi. "As Pluto is the outer defense, and the Time Keeper is located there, we shall kill two birds with one stone. Eliminate the Senshi and return here. This will blind side them to our attack."

"For the Dark Moon Kingdom," the squad droned in response, as instructed by Hi the previous night. Hi once again fire-teleported them out of the room and into the dock in the courtyard.

Ranma looked up into the dotted sky, the land mines, as the orange flash came and the ki was ripped out of his body. The ship was orbiting just above the mines, so they had no risk of the Space Keeper. Ranma settled into his place on the ship and looked out the window into deep space as they flew.

When the constellations became more familiar, the adrenaline began flowing again. Ranma got out of his seat to ready himself. He was first to the dressing room, and was already sliding his scythe home when the first person entered. It was Athena, already dressed. The room was also a waiting room as the exit for the ship was right there. It made sense due to deep space moments when they needed to change into oxygen-enriched suits that allowed them to breath. It was more convenient.

The next to enter was Chiyo who slipped off her white robe and began putting on her black suit. Ranma didn't flinch or blush like he used to at the sight of female skin. Modesty meant nothing, not for them. She helped kill the enemy, that's what mattered now. The others began filtering in and changing too. Once they were all in uniform, Hi entered and they felt the ship tearing through the atmosphere.

Their instructor stood before them, looking each in the eye before speaking, "I can't tell you much for a battle plan other than Plague and I will hold off the guards as you take out the Senshi. Reaper, I leave it to you to debrief them as to what they're up against."

When all the eyes turned to him, Ranma promptly changed his form into a her with the magic that seemed to be emitted from Plague. She folded her now fully usable arms and said, "From what I've seen of her before, she only had one main attack as a Senshi: the Dead-Scream. Her abilities as a Time Keeper are unknown, but she is skilled at using the Garnet Rod. Our best chance is for us to confront her, and then I'll get her guard to drop when I change forms and she recognizes me."

The plan set, they awaited their landing.

Plague was able to take all of them, including Hi, through the shadows and into Charan Castle. Once inside, Hi proceeded towards the main gates while Plague returned to the shadows to eliminate patrolling guards. Ranma and the other six quickly moved to the throne room. Beforehand, the ship they were with had used on EMP on the security system imbedded in the castle, allowing them free movement. After a quick check, they found two servants and three guards killed by Plague, but no Pluto inside the room.

Ranma then led the group to the royal bedchambers. Along the way, Ranma turned a corner and almost ran into a woman in a black gown. With familiar flowing green hair and crimson eyes, Ranma voiced the command to attack.

Pluto took only a second to take in the six attackers before transforming. She had sent a Dead-Scream before her feet even returned back to the group. She whirled her Garnet Rod around to strike Ranma, who in turn parried with her scythe. Pluto glanced at the scythe for a second before her eyes widened in shock. "You…" Makusu, the only one hit by the Dead-Scream, was beginning to get back up. Pluto grew angry and began striking with more force. "You are the bastards who killed Ranma!"

Pluto was evasive and skilled in her fury. She weaved in and out of the attacks from combat squad. She resisted any snares sent her way and expertly dodged magical attacks. She kept her main focus on Ranma since she held the scythe. Ranma, in turn, would try to open up the Senshi's guard by holding parries longer than necessary. Pluto was more skilled than she expected as the aged Senshi would still dodge any attacks.

Ranma, with full use of both arms, used the scythe in her left hand to parry the next blow and sent a wicked uppercut with her right. Pluto sprawled back into the hallway before she rolled back onto her feet and sent a large Dead-Scream that left no room for dodging in the narrow hall. Ranma, in turn, held her hand out and shouted, "_MOKO TAKABISHA REVISED: apathetic edition!"_ The ball of pure ki negated her magical one.

Pluto's eyes narrowed at the attack, recognizing it as familiar. Ranma stepped forward and grinned wickedly, "You said that I killed Ranma… You're wrong." She used what little magic was left in the air to change forms. "I _am_ Ranma." Pluto gaped at the thought dead hero. Makusu didn't waste the opportunity as he got a clean hit in.

Pluto was sent further back into the hallway and crashed into the bedchamber's thick door. She kneeled after the hit and held wild eyes. "R-Ranma? What's going on?" Her restriction on using the Gates of Time still held, but even so she would have sensed an attack coming. This explained why she was caught so unaware.

Ranma didn't reply as the group advanced. He raised his one good arm and the room began to chill. Catching the drift, the Samui twins used their ability to make it snow. With the increased negative energy, Ranma shouted, "_FUBUKI SOUSOU!_" The enhanced attack hit Pluto hard, sending her through the door even with the Garnet Rod protecting her.

When the Senshi rose, she glared hard, "Ranma, this isn't you. Fight what they are using to control you. I know you're better than this." She whispered, "Dead-Scream." The attacked raced through the door towards the team. Ranma side-stepped, allowing Tachi to take the blow. She was thrown back into the wall at the end of the hallway. She hit the floor, unconscious.

The combat squad entered the room and surrounded the Senshi. Pluto looked from person to person, her key-staff at the ready, but she kept her main attention on Ranma. Ranma stepped towards her, ready to finish her off. Pluto swung her Garnet Rod around hard, but Ranma side-stepped before kicking it out of her hands. He held the scythe up, ready to end it. His heart pounded, adrenaline coursing through his veins. His blood demanded hers.

Ranma locked eyes with her – ice to blood. He hesitated, ignoring the burning need inside him. He couldn't kill her. He flinched when Yusuke suddenly demanded, "Finish her." Instead, Ranma lowered his scythe. He turned around and walked out of the room, leaving the squad to finish the defeated Senshi. He head a brief struggle before the sound of blood splattering across the floor was heard.

Ranma stopped cold when he noticed someone watching from behind the destroyed door. A Plutoian, evident by green hair, red eyes, and pale skin, was watching with horrified eyes. It was a woman, around thirty years old. By her royal dress, Ranma guessed her to either be Mihoshi's daughter or her apprentice. He looked back at the group, seeing them finishing up. With quick thinking, Ranma grabbed the woman – with his hand covering her mouth – and sprinted down the hall. He ran past the still unconscious Tachi and continued on. He ran through the throne room and made it to the main entrance.

Corpses were strewn about, but there was no sign of Hi. Ranma took that to mean that he had returned to the ship. He ran out of the castle and into the nearest building that looked empty. The woman had struggled the entire way, but he kept a good grip on her, even with only one arm. He set her down inside the building and looked for signs of Plague. When he removed his hand from her mouth, she had enough sense not to scream.

Ranma looked down at her and said, "Stay here for as long as you can. Do not leave until we are gone. Do you understand?" The woman nodded. Tears began to fall down her face. Ranma stood and began to leave. In the doorway, he stopped. He took a deep breath. "I'm sorry." With that, he was gone.

XXXX

Queen Metaria stared down at an orb showing the works of her combat squad. She had followed Ranma's every movement. She watched him take the woman from the castle and protect her. "Well, my key, you are proving to be a problem. You have only one more task before I can get rid of you." She watched him rejoin with the team and board the spaceship with them. "Just open the door, my key. Do as you were born to do."

Metaria deactivated the orb, plunging the room into its eternal darkness. She spoke to her demons gathered in the room, "Soon, my friends, soon we shall annihilate the Moon Kingdom and all the humans will be ours. We can feast off of their eternal agony. It will be glorious!" Grunts, shrieks, yelps, and snorts accompanied the declaration as a sickening cheer rose up.

XXXX

The next day, Ranma stood before the Queen alone. He stood perfectly calm in the darkness, awaiting her orders. He was fully geared and ready to go. He had denied himself the blood of Pluto. He yearned to go and spill blood. No more hesitation. He had wanted to spill corrupt blood, not the blood of a friendly Senshi. It didn't matter now, though. They were the enemy, all of them. He had agreed to the cause, he knew what it would take. If Ryu himself was there, Ranma would strike him down. That was the cost of war for a noble cause.

Metaria regarded the warrior before her. She briefly wondered if he would actually succeed at what she was going to tell him to do, before deciding it didn't matter. Either way, it would be a victory for her. "Reaper, you are to assassinate the Queen of Moon Kingdom. We may be able to end the war without causing the deaths of what could be millions." Ranma remained silent, waiting for her to finish. "You are to go in solo. A group would be too noticeable. Do what you have to in order to get in and get out."

Ranma's demeanor chilled as he responded, "For the Dark Moon Kingdom." With those final words, the orange light he was so familiar with overtook him and ripped his ki away.

As Ranma flew through space, he encountered a problem from the start. He wasn't even out of the solar system when the man he identified as the Space Keeper was upon him. Ranma ducked under the crackling scepter just in time as it arced over his head. As he reached for his scythe, a hand wrapped around his throat suddenly. The fingers were cold as death, and the blood red eyes promised nothing less.

The starved, solid white face was only inches from Ranma's when it spoke. The words came without a breath, the ghastly sound reverberating in Ranma's head instead of his ears. "**You have violated Space. The sentence is death. Explain yourself.**"

Neither being acknowledged the scenery as they raced past planets and stars, whizzing through dead-space. Ranma didn't need air while traveling like this, so he was in no panic from the fingers choking him. He looked the creature in the eyes as he spoke with his cold tone, "_Queen Metaria has sent me through these methods. The first time I was attacked and captured by this method."_ Ranma noticed that no words escaped his mouth – there was no air for them to travel through – but the Space Keeper seemed to understand.

"**Metaria is a fool to test me in such a way. You will be used as an example of what happens to those who test me.**" It raised its scepter. Ranma didn't resist. As the piece of wood came down in a hard swing, it halted only a hairsbreadth away from Ranma's temple. He could feel the buzz of the crimson electricity that danced across it. The voice came as incredulous, despite its wispy quality. "**You are a chaos generator? Forgive me.**" Suddenly, Ranma found himself reunited with his ki and away from the Keeper.

Ranma looked around Luna, its familiar landscape bringing up memories of when he studied it on Nemesis. He sank into the Soul of Ice, banishing the memories. He had a task to do. He located the Lunar Palace in the distance. Ranma pulled out his scythe and began his mission.

Upon entering the town, Ranma was ambushed by the royal guard. They had seen him appear outside the city and his hostile intention. They had already sent messengers off to both the Queen and the other guards when they saw him. Although one man, they weren't taking any chances after they received word on what happened to the Senshi of Pluto.

Ranma started the fight immediately, ignoring their commands of 'halt' and 'identify yourself.' He noticed that all the guards were female, something that ignited the lust for blood in him. These were who he wanted to kill. These were the oppression he fought to oppose. He came out strong, swinging his scythe around. His first swipe decapitated the closest female. He reversed the swing, crushing the next guard's skull with the back. He slipped through each one's attack, slashing and hacking whenever he could.

Their weakness excited Ranma. It was easy retribution. He suddenly slid his scythe home on his back and continued fighting hand to hand. He preferred to actually feel the snap of a bone when he hit them, to feel the life drain away as he crushed their windpipes. Even with only one arm he was able to slaughter anyone foolish enough to get close. Instead of fear, the excitement grew when the reinforcements from the palace came.

Once the guards learned to stop blindly attacking him, Ranma began to grin. It turned into a game. He had to work for his kills now. Ranma pounced on one girl, bringing her down with his feet before he stomped on her throat. She made strangled coughs before she grew still. Ranma grinned wickedly as he leaped onto another doomed warrior, blood splattering from his uniform.

From the shadows of a nearby building, a woman frowned. She herself was garbed in the shadows. Her head was all that was visible. She had hair that was the dark green of the trees on Nemesis. Her eyes were the onyx black metal that the very planet was famous for. Her angelic face was locked in place with a look of pity and regret as she watched the once joyful child she had grown to love continue killing others without any remorse. With a deep sigh, she gave one last look before completely vanishing. In that last look, her face held a maturity beyond anything a mortal could obtain.

After finishing off another weak woman, Ranma looked to where he felt powerful ki. It was almost familiar, but it had a different feel to it. He looked to where he felt it, in the shade of some building, but nothing was there. Ranma turned back to the regrouping women and grinned.

As he fought, Ranma made sure to make actual progress towards the Lunar Palace. Countless bodies littered the path behind as when he finally arrived at the gates. Several dozen women remained outside the courtyard. Ranma turned to face them, almost laughing at the distance they kept between him and themselves. Suddenly, a strong voice rang out behind the women. Ranma was surprised to find the voice male. "Hold your lines! Stay close together but give enough room for yourself and others to dodge if you need to! Don't give up now! For Serenity!" A cheer came up after that.

Ranma shrugged off his curiosity and lunged for a girl. She sidestepped and swung her sword around towards Ranma's unprotected back. Ranma back-flipped over the blade and brought his scythe out. In one clean motion, he beheaded her and landed on his feet, ignoring the spray of blood. The women were better now, more confident as they had a leader. It didn't matter to him. He held his hand out and yelled, "_FUBUKI SOUSOU!"_ The ball of ki slammed into those in the front, launching them back into those behind them. Eventually, they hit the gate which held solidly. The ones caught in the blast slumped down unconscious. Ranma continued fighting.

XXXX

The Queen stood inside the throne room, the Ginzuisho gripped painfully in her hand. Nekomata stood next to her, dressed in a royal gown and clutching the cybernetic clipboard to her chest in a tight grip. A boom rumbled the palace as a blood-curling shriek erupted. One man was doing this. ONE MAN! Crystal had a flash of what the previous Pluto had told her. If one could storm the palace like this, what would seven be like?

Ryu turned his back to the Queen. "I'm going out now."

Crystal grabbed his shoulder. "Ryu, please! Don't do this. Wait for the other Senshi to get here. Together, you can stop him."

Ryu shrugged her hand off, "I might be able to slow him down. Besides, you heard what the messenger said. This could be Ranma!"

"Then at least let me help! I'm stronger than you," Crystal pleaded.

Ryu began walking towards the main entrance, "Your place is inside the palace. What is the purpose of guards and Senshi if we need you to go out for every fight? If he enters, then you can act, but for now, let us do our jobs." He opened the doors and left the women inside.

XXXX

Ranma was fighting the general. It was the only man he had seen so far. Only a few of the women remained, but Ranma ignored them. They didn't have the power to prove a challenge. This man, however, was skilled.

Ranma came in with a flying kick before swinging with his scythe. The general sidestepped the kick and brought his bastard sword up for a quick parry. Both men grunted from the force as the two blades met. Ranma wasted no time by bringing the rear of the weapon up in a quick strike. The man took the blow but shrugged it off and retaliated with the butt of his sword.

Ranma stepped back and held out his hand, "_MOKO TAKABISHA REVISED: apathetic edition._" The ki came out stronger than usual with his greater apathy, but the general cut through it with his sword, leaving him unscathed.

Ranma was about to rush in again when he heard a painfully familiar shout, "_SHADOW DRAGON!"_ Ranma quickly back-flipped away from his spot just in time to see the space he previously resided in explode from a powerful attack.

Ryu saw Marx holding his own against the intruder. He rushed to his old friend's aid and unleashed his attack. "_SHADOW DRAGON!"_ The dragon rose from his shadow and arced towards the intruder who deftly back-flipped over the attack. Ryu wasted no time and slipped into his shadow.

Ranma suddenly turn in a quick motion, barely deflecting a fist that came out of his shadow. The rest of the form came out, causing Ranma to take a step back at the presence of his old mentor. Ryu himself looked sadden when he finally got a good look at the intruder. "Ranma…"

"Ryu," Ranma regarded evenly. He paused to catch his breath as Marx came to stand next to Ryu.

"Wanna talk about it?" Ryu offered with a weak shrug.

Ranma grinned despite himself. "After I eliminate the Queen, we can talk as long as we want."

Ryu sighed. "So be it." He took up his fighting stance. He noticed that Ranma hadn't once moved his right arm. In fact, it was suffering from considerable atrophy as well. From the thick scars in the biceps, Ryu guessed that it was paralyzed.

As one, both Nemesisians unleashed their attacks, _"SHADOW DRAGON / FUBUKI SOUSOU!"_ The black dragon gave a silent roar as it collided with the orb of snow white ki. The two attacks collapsed in on each other before a shockwave knocked both parties back. Ranma stayed on his feet, but an unexpected fist hitting him from behind reminded him of Ryu's ability.

Ranma made sure to keep his senses out as he fought the Senshi of Nemesis. More than once, he had turned around just in time to catch Ryu about to hit him, grab him in mid air, and then throw him into some nearby object before the Senshi would disappear into the shadows. More than once the Senshi would be able to get in more than a few hits.

Both master and apprentice seemed tied in ability, despite one being a Senshi. Ryu suddenly slipped out of a shadow at a nearby distance, close to Marx who had taken to simply observing the fight. Ryu stood to his full height and pulled out the sword he always kept at his waist, but never used. Its hilt was pure white, but the blade was the ebony of the black copper. Ranma, in turn, pulled out his scythe. The two warriors charged with savage battle cries.

Inside the palace, Crystal shook in fear. Not fear for herself, but fear for her Ryu outside. She had heard both scream in pain numerous times, so it was unclear who was winning. With that last cry though, she knew the end was approaching. She hugged herself and wept at her helplessness. She wouldn't defy Ryu's wishes, but they left her feeling weak. She felt Nekomata's hand on her shoulder, but that made her cry all the harder.

Marx had to marvel at the skill of both warriors. During The Planets' Collision, he had seen Gastralians fight. They were almost unstoppable. It was terrifying to watch, even more so to fight against. He was commander of Saturn's army during the war and was later ordered to train the Senshi when she came around. Watching the two Nemesisians brought back unwanted memories, but things this time were much more intense. In the war, there was too much chaos. You could never focus on a single battle. When there were just two… He was speechless.

Ranma parried with the wood of the scythe before coming up with a knee to the groin which was met by a loud clank as it hit a _new_ plate of metal. Ranma raised an eyebrow at the Senshi, who grinned despite his fatigue. "I learned… my lesson," he panted out.

Ranma was equally exhausted. He had already fought the entire way to the castle and fighting one with equal skill was a sap in itself. As the fight drudged on, both warriors were getting more and more sloppy and erratic. It was one of these errors that became Ryu's downfall.

The first error allowed Ranma to get a glancing blow on him. A low swing with the scythe made contact. The sharp blade made a loud shriek as it cut across the thigh plate. Ryu was the only armored Senshi. His caution had just saved him.

The next mistake, he wasn't so lucky. Ryu over-swung, the blade going past Ranma and twisting his body out of control. Ranma didn't waste his advantage and struck. The scythe started at Ryu's heavily muscled side, just under the protective plate layer and tore through to his back. Blood oozed down in steady streams. He collapsed to the floor, all of his strength gone. Ranma kneeled next to his mentor and friend in shock. His head snapped up to the general he had fought before and he shouted, "Get him to a fucking medic!"

Marx, in a daze from seeing one so powerful being struck down, moved after slight hesitation. Ranma felt sorrow well up in his chest, but he buried the feeling down. He stood in a cold fury and approached the gates. He entered the courtyard and opened the doors to the Lunar Palace.

Crystal's heart twisted beyond pain when she saw who entered the palace. It was not Ryu, and by all the fresh blood that covered the man's form, she knew the result of the fight. With a cry of anguish, Queen Serenity IV sent a powerful blast of raw power towards the man from her Ginzuisho.

Ranma saw the attack coming and prepared himself the best he could. Even so, nothing could fully prepare him for what happened. He was flung back like a rag doll and slammed into the walls at the back of the courtyard. The wave didn't stop there as it ground him deeper and deeper into the wall. When it ended, Ranma barely found the energy to move. He pushed himself out of the hole in the wall and hit the ground hard. He pushed himself to a kneeling position just in time to see the Queen standing there, sending another wave towards him. Ranma was slammed back into the wall once again and knew no more.

XXXX

Ranma groaned when he woke up, the pain hitting him like a stack of bricks. He felt his arms strapped down onto something. He opened his weary eyes and saw two gigantic hand cuffs that covered half of his arms. Using the monstrous strength he obtained, he tried to stand. He was able to get the cuffs about two inches off the ground before he fell forward. "Damn it! These things must weigh ten tons!"

He heard giggling and looked up right into two sparkling amethysts. "Ranma-kun, you really have grown!" She was standing in front of an open door. He knew she was his guard. He snorted at the familiarity of it.

He glared at her, "Why did you abandon me? Why didn't you wait?" He felt an odd pain tugging at his heart, willing him to break the ice that replaced numbness of before.

Nekomata frowned, "I never left you; you left me! They told me you were dead. I cried for you. And now here you are, attacking palaces and slaughtering hundreds like they mean nothing. What happened to you, Ranma?"

Ranma's cold sapphires stared at her angry amethysts. "I got my memories back… Yuka."

The girl-turned-cat flinched back. "Who told you?"

"You did. I matched the dates. I was Jupiter at the time. Not only are you the only one there I knew to have purple eyes, you act the same." He paused for a second, thinking back to those more pleasant days that felt so far away. "Well, without the sexism of course."

Yuka sniffed and gave him a watery smile. She wiped her eyes before saying, "It's good to have you back, despite the circumstances. Maybe I'll get you a lemon one of these times." She offered a teary wink before leaving the room with a sad smile on her face. She closed and locked the door behind her.

Ranma looked down to the cuffs on his arms and sighed, "Stupid Queen and her damn Ginzisho. I wouldn't be in here if it wasn't for her."

"And you wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for me." A new voice was heard, a familiar voice.

Ranma's head snapped up. The forest green haired, black eyed woman from Sir Anquish's personal torture stood there: the fourth Ranma. He recognized her as his lawyer, if what he learned about Moon Kingdom Law was true. "YOU!"

The woman smiled gently, "Me."

"Who are you? Why are you here? Why were you _there_?" Ranma shot off in rapid succession.

She had a motherly smile on her face as she said, "All in due time. First, why don't we see how we can get you out of being executed out in the courtyard by tomorrow evening, hmm?"

Ranma blinked at her, at first not understanding. Then it came back to him that he was to have a trial. Since attack on the kingdom was a capital offence, all the Senshi would in to be judges and decide his fate in a majority vote style decision. If chosen to live, the Queen would propose a punishment that he had to agree with or he would be executed. He snorted, "Like I'll get five votes after laying full siege to the Palace and killing who knows how many guards."

The lawyer lifted a paper, "257 guards, to be exact. And don't forget 'aiding in murder of Senshi of Pluto' and 'physical assault on Senshi of Nemesis.'" Ranma snorted again and sat back down, maneuvering himself into a comfortable position with the cuffs on. "Well," she began, "To start with, do you feel any guilt for your actions?"

Ranma didn't look up at her. "I don't feel guilt." He was picturing Ryu on the ground, blood oozing from what he was sure to be a fatal wound.

"Uh-huh," the woman spoke in an unbelieving tone but wrote something down on a paper. "And were these… attacks on your own whim?"

Ranma glanced up at her. Her intense eyes, black as his scythe and Ryu's sword, patiently waited for him to reply. "No."

His lawyer wrote something else down before asking, "And whose order was it?"

Ranma shrugged, "Queen Metaria's of the Dark Moon Kingdom."

"And were you there by force?" She asked.

Ranma tried to scratch his head, but stopped when he remembered the cuffs. "Um, well… I wasn't _there_ by choice in the beginning, but working for her was my choice."

"Stick with the question, please. When you are on trial, you need a solid answer. Yes or no. Were you there by force?"

Ranma paused for a second, thinking about it. "No, I was there by choice." He watched as she suddenly scratched out a line she had been writing and she sighed.

"When presented with the choice of joining them, did you understand exactly what you were getting into?"

Ranma struggled for an answer, "Well, I knew that I would be fighting the corruption of the Moon Kingdom, but I didn't know exactly what that involved."

Her black eyes flashed up at him, "Stick with the question, please."

"No!" Ranma shouted, "I had no idea what I was getting into. All I knew was that I would be doing something beneficial."

The woman smiled as she continued writing. "That's better. Now, do you think anything contributed to your actions or decision? Maybe if something hadn't happened you would have never done this?"

Ranma glanced up at her again to see her patiently waiting again. "I think you know the answer to that."

"It doesn't matter what I do or don't know. Stick with the question."

Ranma frowned in annoyance. "Yeah, I was captured and tortured. That may or may not have something to do with _everything_. Now, can you tell me what you were doing there on that last one?"

The woman snapped her notebook closed and began to leave. After knocking to be let out, she turned and said, "All in due time."

Ranma looked up with pleading eyes and asked, "Then at least tell me your name!"

The woman smiled gently. Once the door opened, she said, "Nemesis." And then she was gone. Ranma blinked as the cell door slammed shut.

* * *

_(1) I have absolutely NO idea what she really looks like. I get to make up a description until someone can tell me what she does look like, if she has a form._

_(2) Is it me or are purple eyes common in Anime?_

_(3) I'm using this because it makes much more sense in Japanese than English. Okaa-san means mother, sensei means teacher. The san is an honorific. I have seen it replaced with sama before, which is a much more respectful honorific. Sensei is also an honorific. I have never used Okaa-sensei before, nor heard it, but an affectionate-respectful term of Mother-Teacher sounds perfect for who she is, especially to Ryu._

_(4) Alright, some heavy steps into the Demonata Universe with this. I know most of you haven't read the books, so I'm explaining things as they are. All the demons in this story, including Youma, are Demonata based, along with all magic. The subtle differences between this and SM magic/demons will be obvious. Don't worry about it too much, though, as things will make a lot of sense. In Demonata, you can take magic from planets, which will be a big part of this story (at least on Ranma's part)._

_(5) You don't need to know their codenames. I'm just mentioning them simply because they have them. It's hard enough adapting to seven new characters, let alone seven characters with two names._

* * *

**Announcements:**

Alright folks, Nemesis ½ has been updated and previous chapters edited. As usual, please notify me to any mistakes, compatibility issues, or plot holes.

For those of you who actually read author's notes, know I have finished outlining Banishment and outlined the prologue for Resurrection, so there won't be any polls for a while. Next chapter is SIGNIFICANTLY lighter in material, maybe even a little romance. The chapter after that is the last chapter, the war, and the fall of the Moon Kingdom.

I can't believe how amazingly long chapter 3 is. It was supposed to just be captured, tortured, allied with Queen Metaria, attack Moon Kingdom, captured again, and then the next chapter. Chapter 3 is currently at 40,000 words, so I have broken it into THREE chapters: the last, this, and the next.

You may have noticed how different this chapter was from the previews I gave. The previews I gave didn't tie in with the written story, so I had to change them.

At long last, all of the players of this wonderful game have been named. Some are still in the dark, like the enigmatic Nemesis, but many more have been revealed.

Before the preview, I just want to send a thank you to Senshi Coronis for her brief appearance in the story. Although never significant and probably forgotten by most of you readers, she is greatly appreciated. Also, good bye old Sailor Pluto. Your usefulness has expired.

* * *

_KACHU TENSHIN AMAGURIKEN_

_HIRYU SHOTEN HA_

_BAKUSAI TENKETSU_

_MOKO TAKABISHA_

_SHADOW DANCE_

_SHADOW DRAGON_

_SILENCE GLAIVE SURPRISE_

_SILENCE WALL_

_FUBUKI SOUSOU_


	5. Taming Of Horses

Reviews:

**Nysk:** Wow, I laughed when I saw your review. You've been around since the beginning of this story (you even have a review on page 1). Nice to see your still reading this. :D

* * *

Nemesis ½: Banishment - Taming Of Horses

* * *

The tension in the air of the Court was almost tangible. On one side was a man, bound by heavy cuffs and shirtless as to reveal no hidden weapons. On the other side, eight Jurors and one Judge – the Queen – each had their own look directed towards the kneeling man. Several Jurors had met the man before, when he was just a child. He had grown on each of them like a lump of benign cancer. They were uncertain of what to do with their once friend. The others, the ones who had never met him before, took an immediate dislike to him for two reasons. The first reason was the charges against him, which was universally accepted as true before the trial even started. The other reason was the fact that _he_ was a male. That was enough reason for execution for those others.

The Courtroom was a magnificent building, if one were to take the time to notice. The wells were solid marble, embossed with pillars of crystals. The Jurors and Judge each sat in a throne, each throne beautifully decorated wood made from each one's home-world. In the center of the room was a 2D map of the solar system. Magic coursed through the map, bringing it to life. In the center was the Sun, its blinding light radiated from a yellow topaz, but it was dulled to allow people to take in its beauty. Ten planets moved in impeccable circles around it.

One of the circling planets was different, however. It was the fifth planet from the Sun, represented by a large chunk of obsidian. The planet was marred. A large gash was carved into in the shape of an X. Due to the spell the map was set with, it still orbited the Sun with the rest. Ranma traced over the mark with his foot, absently feeling its grooves as he thought about what the mark represented. His entire arms, including both hands, were locked inside the giant cuffs.

The Queen saw Ranma's subtle actions and commented before the trial started, "That was done by Senshi Nemesis after the attempted assassination by Queen Serenity II, 553 years ago. It symbolizes the separation between Nemesis and the Moon Kingdom."

Ranma ignored her and looked straight into a certain Juror with purple eyes and now much longer black hair. "You healed him, didn't you? The wound was fatal unless you did something."

Senshi Saturn, more accurately name Juror Saturn for the duration of the trial, had to turn her eyes from Ranma's penetrating gaze. As excited as she was that her friend was alive, she had duties that she couldn't ignore now. She was torn inside on what to do, but years of duty covered her emotions. "I did what I could." It was vague, and they both knew it.

The Queen clarified, bringing Ranma's look back to her, "He is inflicted with Black Blood." Ranma stopped breathing.

Black Blood was a fatal disease that could only be caught by a Nemesisian for reasons no one could quite understand as of yet. It was a poison contracted from the planet's metal, much like lead poisoning from Earth. However, one could only get the disease by having black copper enter their blood stream, the most common reason being war. It was not a guarantee to get such the disease from being wounded by the weapon, but the chances were a hefty ten percent. Mercurian technology had yet to find a way to counter it, despite their advances in medicine.

Ranma understood very clearly what that meant. Every Nemesisian was taught the dangers of black copper, especially those who were to use it in a weapon. Hotaru may have stopped the bleeding, but what was coursing through that blood was just as bad in the long run. He had killed his mentor, and the man wasn't even dead yet. It was a sickening feeling.

Crystal straightened herself when she saw Ranma's understanding. "The trial of Ranma Uzuki-Saotome is now in session." Despite the room being quiet before, a new hush reigned in the air.

Ranma didn't need to look to know who was behind him. At a desk maybe ten feet back was the woman named Nemesis, his lawyer, with her papers at the ready. Behind her were the observers. Representatives of every planet viewed with passive eyes. Ranma himself only recognized two parties in the observers. The first was his second family, with even his mother being allowed to leave the planet and view the case with her husband Fugao. The second party was only one man, the representative of Mars.

The representative was a tall man with wavy orange hair. As a Martian, two large wings sprouted out of his back. Although he could conceal them in his flesh, he left them out in the open as a silent announcement of his race and rank. He was the only male representative in the room, besides the one sent from Nemesis. At the same time, he had a more personal reason for viewing the trial. The man kneeling in the center of the room, Ranma, had achieved what the representative had been banished from. He had, at one time, been a Senshi apprentice. Hera's rise to power had denied him that. It was because of that that Saffron made sure to pay special attention to the male Senshi apprentice.

Ranma didn't have to look to know Saffron was there. The ki was familiar, even after all the years. It had been only twenty-three years since he had fought the man and who knows how many years until he would for the first time. However, Ranma didn't let his thoughts stray far as he focused on what the Queen was saying.

"Ranma, the charges are murder of 249 city guards, the murder of eight royal guards, aiding in the assassination of Senshi Pluto, physical assault on Senshi Nemesis, and…" she seemed reluctant to say it, "betrayal of the Moon Kingdom." Ranma, Nemesis, and several of the Jurors blinked in surprise at the last charge. Two of Jurors grew smug looks.

Nemesis took immediate action, wiping off the looks on Jurors Uranus and Neptune, "Ranma is a Nemesisian, one who betrayed his own planet before the planet started the treaty with Moon Kingdom. His actions as a renegade only reflect towards Nemesis the planet, not the Moon Kingdom. He cannot bear the title of Nemesis from his previous actions and thus cannot betray the Moon Kingdom. His actions represent hostile actions from the Dark Moon Kingdom, not Nemesis."

The Queen and several others smiled. "All in favor of dismissing the charge of 'betraying the Moon Kingdom?'" All but the two Outers raised their hands, albeit some grudgingly.

The Judge sat in a throne different than the others as she had a slanted desk before her, slanted to prevent prying eyes. It was carved from a solid block of oak, embossed by various precious metals and gems. It sparkled in the room as the one sitting behind it made quick markings on a paper hidden on top of it.

After finishing writing, the Queen looked back up. "Addressing the murders of the guards, how does the defendant plead?" It wasn't the typical 'guilty or not guilty' type of question, not in the Royal Court. He committed the deeds, but the question was who was responsible.

"Following soldier's orders," Nemesis responded boldly. Ranma hadn't been too informed of how this case was going to proceed by his 'lawyer,' so he was surprised by her answer. However, the others found it acceptable so he wasn't going to complain.

The Queen wrote something else on her paper as she spoke, "And the defendant understands the consequences of such a claim?"

"Yes." It was bullshit, and both Ranma and Nemesis knew that. Ranma had no idea about anything legal except that this trial _should_ end with him executed.

The Queen looked up at the response, her dark purple eyes glancing at Ranma for a moment before she resumed writing, "Then you may continue."

Nemesis stood up and began to pace the space between Ranma and the officials. "First of all, Ranma doesn't feel guilt for his actions, HOWEVER!" she cut in before some of the Jurors protested, "he was trained to be as such. Before you lay any claims, let me first explain how they did such… training."

She stopped pacing and looked each straight in the eye as she spoke, "As you may or may not know, Ranma was captured while on the planet Saturn during his Senshi training." There were a couple of wide eyes at that, but most had already known. "He was taken away to an undisclosed location. At that location, he was shackled to a wall and then 'trained.'" Ranma was slightly confused at what she was talking about. It implied that it was the Dark Moon who tortured him, not rescued him. "His training consisted of three years of being dosed with Miepothylocusoid Thylose, administered by the demon master Sir Anquish and his familiar."

At the name of the drug, Juror Mercury, her representative, and the present Nemesisians had stood and cried in outrage. Nemesis nodded her satisfaction, and motioned to the Senshi. "Juror Mercury, if you would be so kind as to explain such a drug to those gathered."

Mercury trembled as she spoke, "It is a drug that we found by accident. It is multi-purposed and basic in acidity levels. It is only able to work when administered directly into bone marrow. Its primary function is antagonizing the amygdala after overloading the brain with Delta Waves, forcing the body into a deep sleep and stuck at the REM stage. To the body, that translates to an extreme state of fear while dreaming, automatically forming nightmares. The nightmares are brutally violent, going beyond physical pain and into mental and emotional agony. The nightmares will not end until the drug is free of the body. Secondary functions include the replenishing ability so that the victim can survive solely off the drug. Also, it shuts down the bodies motor neurons, forming a paralysis for the duration. It was found to be a poison as continuous use decayed the body to the point of death."

The Senshi glared at Ranma and Nemesis. "However, we have kept the drug under tight security with its recipe. There is no possible way he could have been treated with it."

Ranma cleared his throat, bringing the attention to him. "You got two parts wrong on your description. The first, it doesn't go beyond physical pain. It was a living hell being killed over and over and over again. The other thing you missed was that that the paralysis will eventually become permanent to the area where it is administered." He gestured to his right arm. Gasps of shock ran out through those who could see the scars.

The arm was littered with countless circular scars, all angled towards the humerus. Mercury frowned and left her throne. She approached Ranma and ran her hands across his arm in a medical manner. Without the thick muscle surrounding it, she was able to feel from scar to bone.

After a few seconds of her inspection, Mercury turned back to the other officials. "Th-the scars run straight to the bone. The bone itself shows signs of repeated penetration. Muscle mass has been atrophied to unusable levels. The motor neurons have deteriorated and are non-existent. He…" She took a deep breath, trying to control her shaking, "He was undoubtedly afflicted by Miepothylocusoid Thylose for an extended time period." She glanced at the number of holes. "Most likely years. However, he shouldn't have felt the pain. Although it would be relevantly simple for us to adapt the drug into including pain, no one outside Mercury or Nemesis should be able to do so."

Ranma snorted, not interested in should's or shouldn't's. Mercury returned to her throne. Nemesis continued her retelling, "You can ask the Queen's secretary for reassurance for this next part if you want further proof.

"After the two years, Nizomi Yuka, aka Nekomata, came to Ranma's cell. She offered him a way to escape the drug. She gave him a lemon. The lemon negated the effects of the drug. However, Sir Anquish caught on to the plan a short while later. This next part, I can tell from my own experiences."

The Court was deathly silent as they were all captivated by Nemesis's speech. She pushed on, "I had been watching over Ranma since he was first taken on as a Senshi apprentice. When Sir Anquish found out, he gave Ranma a new drug. I saw that the results would be devastating for Ranma, and tried to take as much pain as I could away.

"The new drug allowed Sir Anquish full control over the nightmares, along with hypersensitivity to pain. He first impaled Ranma. Once he pulled out, there were two Ranma's and two Sir Anquish's. He impaled both, causing double the pain. Like before, when he pulled out, there was another Ranma and demon. For the fourth time, I came. This started a cycle of three Ranma's and myself as more and more waves of impalement happened. I only had the power to take a fourth of the pain away from what he experienced, but from what little I felt, just _that_ would have broken any of you, including you, Queen Serenity. The total number of waves, and the final number of Ranma's, were 2574 and 1930 respectively.

"In other words," her voice had a sharper edge to it, "Ranma had to experience of a blade piercing his flesh 1930 times in just that last wave, while under hypersensitive effects, with there being 2573 waves before that. Can you even imagine that? Can you imagine the extremity of what he experienced?" She paused to let that sink in. "Then things go downhill from there."

The people of the Court, including all of the Senshi, were transfixed by the tale. Crystal had only heard the watered down version of it from Ryu, who had heard it in this full telling. "A friend Ranma had made broke into the prison and tried to free him. The person only got so far before they were engaged, and killed, in combat. Their dying action was leading the demons away from Ranma. Ranma, at the time, was broken. To be broken is an experience I cannot fully describe, but know that it is a state of mind where life no longer holds meaning and you can no longer feel emotions.

"Ranma only moved far enough to get captured once again - the point where I last saw him before his invasion of this palace. Ranma, if you would please tell us what happened for the next year after that?" Her part finished, she sat down after gesturing to the fallen warrior.

Ranma was mute for a few seconds as the entire assembly had their eyes on him. He rolled his shoulders in a massive shrug that involved lifting the cuffs an inch before they hit the ground in a loud clank that echoed off the walls. A few people flinched unexpectedly. He kept his dead gaze on the ground as he spoke in a solemn, but convicting tone, "The Moon Kingdom is corrupt." The crowd was silent in shock at the unexpectedness of his first words.

He elaborated, "If the stories are to be believed, it has been so since Hera. I wanted to do something about it. I joined Ryu in his Senshi training for that reason. Everywhere I looked, I saw oppression and lack of freewill on _half_ of the population here." He glared straight at the Queen. "The way men are treated here is unacceptable. On Mars, things aren't so bad. It is just a bias and superiority complex. However, they are slaves on Jupiter, forced to only do manual labor and unable to have a chance at anything else. Ryu told me that things were much worse than Jupiter on Earth, Venus, and Mercury. He also said that Uranus and Neptune were worse than those three. If Jupiter is unacceptable, I don't even want to think about the others.

"You want to know what happened after the torture? I was rescued by the Dark Moon Kingdom. You can also ask Nekomata about that if you want verification. They did a technique to seal my memories of the torture until I was ready. After my memories were returned, they asked if I wanted to help them reform the Moon Kingdom into the pure form it claims to be. I agreed. Yes, one of my missions was to assassinate Senshi Pluto and I went willingly. My last mission was to stop a war from happening if it didn't need to. All I needed to do was assassinate you, Queen Serentiy IV, and they would be able to finish the job. Of my own free will, I agreed. Kill me if you wish. I have spoken my piece," Ranma finished with fire in his voice.

Nemesis spoke before anyone could make hasty decisions, "There is more to it than that, however. Yuka, if you would please explain your own version of Ranma's events for further clarification."

The Queen's secretary stepped out from behind the Judge's Throne. She walked to the center of the room, bringing the crowds attention to her. Many were stunned to see her feline characteristics, the most noticeable of which was her silvery fur. She spoke in a clear voice that masked whatever emotions she could be feeling, "What Nemesis-sama said is true. After unusual circumstances, I was ordered to giving the drug to Ranma. It is also true that I proposed we stop the drug with the citric acid of lemons.

"Also, Ranma is speaking the truth in what he says. I have known him long enough to know that." There were several nods from the Senshi who had befriended him. They knew him to be speaking the truth as well. "However, I believe he may be mistaken on what he speaks about. The Dark Moon Kingdom said they rescued him from the prison. It is a plausible claim as they had many others who were rescued. But at the same time, they took all those that were rescued and started training them to suit their own purposes. It seemed kind of suspicious to me. Also, when they took Ranma to get his memories back, they told me he had died. That in itself makes them untrustworthy.

"Another thing is that the Dark Moon Palace is infested with hundreds of demons. Demons were used in Ranma's torture, then he get's 'rescued' by someone in control of demons? I believe the whole situation to be an elaborate deception made real by the weakened minds of those who were captured," Yuka turned her gaze to her glaring friend. "I'm sorry, Ranma, but I believe you have been manipulated by forces more vile than the Moon Kingdom's worst."

Ranma was in a silent fury as Yuka finished speaking and returned to her previous position. Nemesis stood once again, "So despite the abhorrence of his actions, Ranma had the best of intentions in mind. He-"

"Objection!" Juror Mercury shouted. She stood and continued speaking as was her right, "I am having trouble with your 'stopping the drug' fable. You said that the lemons countered the effects of the drug. That means that it would counter the nourishing portion of the drug. One cannot survive off the occasional lemon." She smirked as several other Senshi nodded in enlightenment.

Yuka flinched from behind the Queen, Ranma grew colder, and Nemesis shot a glare at the girl. Ranma was the first to speak, but he only managed to hiss out, "Mary…"

Nemesis stood to speak for Ranma, "There was another-"

"Marian Furrowburd," Ranma cut off his lawyer, determined to speak about her himself. "She was a demon." He struggled to stand. With a gasp of effort, he shouted, "She was a friend!" He lifted the cuffs off the ground, but couldn't lock his knees. With a sudden snap and a grunt, he stood tall and proud. The tattoo on his arm flared to life, giving off a bright blue light. "She gave me this as a gift. She provided relief from all the torment I received. When the drug was countered, it was she who brought me food." Ranma's voice got progressively louder and louder as he strained against the weight of the cuffs. "It was she who broke me out of the prison! It was she who died for me to escape! She, a demon, gave her life for my freedom!" With a last cry, Ranma stumbled forward and the cuffs hit the ground again, cracking the floor where they hit. He mumbled out, "Do not forget that."

The entire room was in locked in stunned silence at what they had just witnessed. Juror Mercury weakly collapsed back into her throne, unable to speak after the display. The Queen's mouth was open slightly in a gasp. Nemesis was silent in respect for Ranma, appraising his strength and willingness to honor his friend. The thought glanced over her head that if he hadn't done that, they wouldn't have understood exactly how much she meant to him.

Crystal finally regained her voice as she said, "Your point has been proven. Before we cast our votes, can we please go over the assassination of Senshi Pluto? What exactly was your role in the deed?"

Ranma didn't look up at her. "My team and I entered her palace. We found her in the hallway before her royal bedchambers. I led the attack against her. She was restricted to only Dead-Screams, which I countered with my abilities. I then disarmed her, and the team finished her off."

Nemesis's thoughts ran wild as she tried to think of a way to change the story to a more positive one. Ranma had no tact when defending himself. She sighed as she thought about various twists she could present, but she was saved when the successor of the one in question spoke.

Juror Pluto stood, bringing everyone's attention to her. "Ranma is not telling the whole story." Ranma glanced up at her for a second. His eyes widened as recognition flowed through him. The new Senshi was the woman he had rescued from the palace.

She continued, "I didn't see the entire encounter, but I saw enough. Okaa-san was defeated by the time I got there. She was at Ranma's mercy. He had his scythe ready to kill her. He stood there for a moment, hesitating. One of the other men told him to finish her off. Instead, Ranma simply left."

The Juror turned her gaze to Ranma, blood to ice. Memories shot through Ranma's head of his final moments with the last Senshi. "As he left, he saw me outside the door. I thought he would kill me. Instead, he grabbed me and left in a rush. As he ran, I saw the corpses of the other people in the palace on the ground. Obviously, there was another in the palace killing anyone they saw. Ranma took me out of the palace and hid me in a building. He left me there and told me to stay there until he and the group were gone. He undoubtedly saved my life in that moment. Also, despite his apparent lack of remorse and guilt, he apologized. That is enough for me."

She sat down after speaking, her powerful words hanging in the silence. Nemesis blinked once before relief flowed through her. That woman had probably just saved the case.

The Queen nodded after the declaration and finally stood herself. "Enough evidence has been presented in this trial. The vote is now. If in favor of the defendant living, please say so now." She sat back down again.

Pluto was first to stand, "I give my misguided savior a chance at life. Pluto."

Uranus stood next, "For his crimes against the Moon Kingdom and its Senshi: death. Uranus."

Neptune backed her lover. "For his crimes against the Moon Kingdom and its Senshi: death. Neptune."

Hotaru stood after Neptune, her gaze not leaving her old friend. "I know his heart and intentions to be pure, so I give an unfortunate man a new chance at life. Saturn."

After Hotaru, Venus stood and glared at Ranma, "For his crimes against the Moon Kingdom and its Senshi: death. Venus."

"I don't see why the brat should be blamed for being a victim of unfortunate circumstances, so I give him a chance at life. Mars." The winged woman gave a sad smile towards her 'little brother.'

The next to stand was Mercury, but she looked hesitant. At last, she said, "For his crimes against the Moon Kingdom and its Senshi: death. Mercury."

Ranma was shocked at what he saw. People were actually voting for him. Each yes was a blow to his heart, and he felt tears trying to break free. Nemesis herself was more than nervous. It was four to three while not in their favor, and Jupiter was the last to vote. She was very biased towards men, and Pluto's death had enraged her.

Ayame, Jupiter's Senshi, looked to Ranma, then Pluto, then to the others who were standing. She pushed herself to a standing position with intentional slowness. When she was finally standing, she looked to Venus and Mercury. She was close friends with each of them. She finally returned her look to Ranma. "For your crimes against the Moon Kingdom and its Senshi, and in face of the punishment you received at the hands of Sir Anquish, I give him a chance at life. Jupiter." When she finished, she was smiling.

Ranma went still at her vote. Tears finally began to spill from his eyes. Jupiter winked once at him, causing Ranma to grin in his stunned happiness. Nemesis was cooler in her celebrating, but she was thrilled beyond imagination at the current vote. At first, she had thought she had lost the case, but at a tie of four-four, she was satisfied. However, four-four was not the finale. They still needed a fifth vote.

There were several ways to come to get such a vote in unique situations like this. The first was the most simple with the Queen placing her vote. Another option was asking the observers. They could cast a re-vote to see if there were any changes. They also could ask the council for the vote. There were many different ways, but what actually happened was the most surprising, least expected, and was most definitely not on such a list.

The doors to the Courtroom burst open with a loud clang. The gilded wood spun open and clashed into the walls from the force, the sound obtrusive to the mood brought upon by the current vote. The new person was a silhouette, making everyone squint at trying to scrutinize who it was. As the figure strolled forward, row by row people were gasping in surprise. The newcomer passed the observers area and into the actual court. They walked past Nemesis, giving a wink in passing. They didn't look at the figure kneeling on the floor. The person continued forward and collapsed into a green throne that's color matched Nemesis's trees and the lawyer's hair.

Kotetsu Ryu, Senshi of Nemesis, looked like the walking dead. His once lightly tanned skin was sickly pale. His once shining eyes were sunken with black rings around them. Sweat dripped down his face as he panted from the effort it took to walk the distance. An interesting thing was that all his veins, now painfully obvious in his pale skin, were black. It wouldn't be longer before the poison took him, and he looked ready for it.

His gaze shifted in and out of focus as he looked at the people staring at him in shock. He grinned weakly. "I deny any charges against my apprentice claiming his responsibility for my condition. Also, for all other charges, I give Ranma a chance at life. Nemesis." With that, his smile turned towards the woman of the name, who gave him a sad smile of her own.

Queen Crystal Serenity IV of the Moon Kingdom, Judge of the trial, stood after the fifth vote was cast and spoke in a booming voice, "Ranma Uzuki-Saotome has been granted a chance at life!" A small cheer followed the statement, but most of the observers were silent. "To gain that chance, his punishment will be train the Senshi and give all known secrets of the Dark Moon Kingdom. Accept your chance or lose it and face execution now."

Ranma's gaze rose to meet her intense dark purple eyes before he looked to Ryu. The dying man nodded once. Ranma looked back to the Queen and slowly shook his head, "No." Behind him, he heard Nemesis gasp in surprise. A deathly quiet filled the air after that.

Crystal put on an emotionless mask as she stared hard at the boy before her. "Ranma, face the truth. The Dark Moon Kingdom, the one you are trying to protect, captured you, tortured you, killed Ms. Furrowburd, ordered you to kill a Senshi, and then sent you here to face your death after you used up your worth." Ranma didn't acknowledge her, merely remained looking at the ground. "You have twenty-four hours to make your decision final. Guards! Get this scum out of my sight."

As Ranma was being dragged away, he heard a strangled cough. He turned his head to see Ryu clenching his chest in a grimace of pain before he fell off the throne to the ground and didn't move. Medics rushed over to his downed form.

Just before Ranma was out the door, he heard Crystal's voice ring out. "They sent the assassins after Hotaru, Ranma, the ones that started it all." With that, he was gone.

The next day, in the morning, Yuka opened Ranma's cell door. She offered him a weak smile and a lemon. Ranma gave her a sad smirk as he ate the lemon from her hand, just like when they were at the last prison. After he was finished, Yuka wiped the lemon juices off on the side of his pants. "Such loyalty is admirable, Ranma, even if misplaced." She produced a set of keys and removed Ranma's cuffs for travel.

As they walked out of the cell, Yuka wrapped an arm around Ranma's waist in what she hoped looked like a 'guard-like' fashion. Ranma took comfort in her small action and placed his one usable hand over her furry and slightly clawed one. He found it strange how, in the face of death, the claws still gave him shivers. Regardless, he brushed his fingers over the small protrusions on each knuckle.

Ranma was surprised when Yuka guided him not towards the palace courtyard but towards the medical wing. He didn't voice his concern and just went with it. He figured Ryu had something to say to him before he was executed.

Yuka left her charge at the foot of the Senshi's bed and moved away to give them privacy. Ranma noticed that Ryu was alive, barely, and that Nemesis was by his side with her hand on his shoulder in a comforting way. Ranma wondered if she was his wife before remembering their auras. Nemesis's was a copy of Ryu's, only thousands of times more powerful.

When Ranma had first seen Nemesis in Sir Anquish's torture, he knew her to be much more than she appeared. She held a certain wisdom that none of the aged people of the kingdom could compete with, and that was saying something when people were living for over 300 years. He had first felt her power when he laid siege to the palace, but at the time he didn't know who it belonged to. Then, when he met her in his cell, he had connected the face with the power. He could only sum the mysterious women up in three words: 'old,' 'powerful,' and 'beautiful.'

Ryu was staring up at the ceiling, not looking at Ranma, when he spoke, "You know, I had a son once. He would be about your age if he were still alive. Sometimes, when I trained you, I would picture that you were him. It was unfortunate really. In my younger years, I was reckless and proud. The first demon I ever came across was a female – an attractive one at that. She took advantage of my pride and seduced me. In some way I don't understand nor care to understand, she became pregnant. We stayed together long enough for her to give birth to the child, and once done she left without a word.

"My son was considered an abomination. I thought him beautiful. He had my smile and nose, he had her eyes, gills, and scales," he let out a small chuckle before sighing. "It was a shame really. I wanted to keep him; I really did, but the people were afraid. I was forced to 'get rid' of him. Instead, I dropped him off some planet far away from here. I know a defenseless baby like him would not be able to survive such a thing, but sometimes I just…

"I'm rambling, I know, but I am getting to something. To me, you are my long lost son, if not in blood then in spirit. I don't want to see you die. I need you to become the next Senshi of Nemesis. I already asked Okaa-Sensei –" he gestured to the woman next to him, "- and she said it was okay for you to do so."

Ranma was silent. He could only stare at his old mentor, the one on Death's Door because of him. Ryu pushed harder, "Ranma, please. I need you to keep fighting the oppression of the Moon Kingdom. Think about it, if you die keeping the Dark Moon's secrets, then that's the end. However, if you become Senshi, you are still able to do something. Don't give up." Silence. "I thought 'Ranma Saotome didn't give up.' It was that attitude that made me chose you. It was your strict sense of honor that made me want you to be the next Senshi."

Nemesis was silent during the exchange. Ryu was growing frantic as his final moments of life began slipping away. "Ranma, please! Accept the punishment. As my dying wish… please do this… Please… Ranma… Do… thi…" Silence. A beep went off as nurses swarmed the room. Ranma's last sight of the room was Nemesis weeping over the corpse of her fallen Senshi.

Ranma felt nothing as he walked away with Yuka at the lead. The numbness had returned. As they walked, a voice called out to Ranma. He turned to see Nemesis approaching, her eyes red from her crying. When she got close enough, she said to him, "I want you to know what you're taking for granted. He gave up years of his life for you, to train you. He was so proud of you he called you his son. When you were captured, do you know what he did? He took care of Hotaru for you. He said that you made a promise, so he would help you out until you could fulfill that.

"When you attacked the palace, he went out on his own, knowing beforehand he wouldn't win. He went out because of the slight chance that it could be you. He wanted his last moments to be with his 'son,' even if it cost him his life. For all of everything he had done for you, something that included your wish to reform the Moon Kingdom, he only had one request. And now, after all that, you threw the request back in his face as he died. For all he's done for you, for all he's done for this solar system, his dying thought is the sorrow of your life wasted like this. I wanted you to know that before you happily go die for the people who tried to murder your friends, tortured you, and then tossed you aside when they were done." She turned promptly and walked away, leaving the duo in silence.

Ranma looked to the ground and walked back towards his cell in silence. Yuka had to catch up with him when she noticed him moving away. Ranma entered his small room and placed his hands back in the cuffs without being ordered too. Yuka clamped them on in silence. When she was done, turned to Ranma and placed a hand on his shoulder. She tried to say something, stopped, and left the room.

Ranma sat there in the anguish of silence for a time. Before long, a tear leaked from his left eye. Another followed on his right. Then the dam finally broke as Ranma cried pitifully in his position. He wailed and moaned, screamed and shook, nothing able to compensate or alleviate the pain tearing at him inside. He was alone, more so now that he killed one of his few friends. Now, he really had thrown that one request right back at his face. The fallen warrior helplessly gave in to his sorrow, his rage, his frustration, and his pain.

When the time came for the execution, the twenty-four hours, Ranma had calmed himself. He looked pitiful. His eyes were red and bloodshot, dried tears were easily spotted as his hands were unable to wipe them. Yuka undid his hands, and hugged him. Ranma, still under sway of the emotions before, returned the hug with vigor. After the moment passed, Yuka lifted Ranma to his feet and they stumbled their way out the door.

Ranma entered the courtyard to see a large gathering. All of the Senshi were there, minus the one he wanted. Every type of person from every planet formed a large circle around a single person. People parted to give Ranma passage through the ring towards the one person in the center. Once he reached the person, Yuka released him and he fell to his knees.

Queen Serenity IV stared down at the once mighty warrior. The Ginzuisho was gripped tightly in her hand. This was it, the final moment. It was his final chance. "Ranma, do you accept your punishment or do you wish to waste the chance at life given to you?"

Ranma didn't look up. The chance was more symbolic then most of the gathered knew. Ryu had given his life up to give Ranma a chance at life. Mary had given her life to give him a chance at life. Was he really going to throw away their sacrifices? Ranma shook his head; it wouldn't be fair to them. Two lives for one weren't fair. Ranma looked up into the Queen's eyes and said in a broken tone, "I… I accept your punishment."

Crystal smiled and kneeled down to meet him at eye level. Her silver hair arched behind her as her head was only inches from his. She whispered to him, "You have made the right choice. This is what he wanted. He would be proud of you right now."

Ranma broke his eyes from hers to look up at the sparkling night sky. "Would be? Right now he is standing there shaking his head at how long it took me to decide." The Queen graced him with another smile before she reached a hand out to him. Ranma took her hand and allowed her pull him to his feet.

Crystal, still with his hand in hers, addressed the crowd, "I give you the Senshi of Nemesis!"

A cheer rose up after that, although it was small as many understood what a new Senshi meant. At the back of the crowd, one woman gave only a small smile. The woman weaved her way through the crowd and approached the one given a new chance at life.

Ranma saw Nemesis approaching and bowed his head to her. She smiled at him, "Congratulations on seeing truth."

Ranma gave a small smile of his own, the pain behind it still evident. "Thank you for forcing me to see it."

The Queen had released his hand, so Nemesis was able to guide him away from the cheers. As they walked, Ranma asked, "So how does this work, Nemesis? Do you just snap your fingers and I get your powers?"

The woman smiled mysteriously, "You figured it out on your own? How clever of you." When they were out of the crowd, she grabbed his hand and said, "We should be far enough." She grabbed his hand and they teleported away in a breath of wind.

Ranma found teleporting with the woman was much more pleasant than the other kinds of it. A relaxed feeling overtook him as the surroundings became pure white. After a couple of seconds, it was over and they were in a new location.

They were on Nemesis, if the light green sky and purple grass were any indication. The spot they were at was secluded, away from any signs of human life and tightly covered by thick, dark green trees. Ranma took a step forward to get a greater feel of the area, but the sudden change in gravity had him stumble and fall face first into the grass. _Oh, no I haven't forgotten you, gravity. It's nice to see you too._

Nemesis giggled from her spot. She offered him a hand and hoisted him to his feet. Ranma thanked her and then asked again, "So how is this going to work? I barely remember from my studies that the planet gives their powers to the Senshi, and that Hotaru told me that it felt like her soul was ripped out so…"

Nemesis's smile turned sly as she pressed up against him. "It's simple really," she said. She moved her mouth next to his ear, her breath tickling it, and whispered, "You just need to have sex with me."

Ranma's eyes widened considerably as his whole body tensed. Nemesis in turn ran her down over his toned muscles, from his strong left arm, to his chest, then lower to his solid abs, before reaching…

"AHHHH!" Ranma yelled as he jumped back, out of her arms and… hand. He glared hard when the woman started laughing at him.

When she finished, she winked and said, "I'm only joking. It's more painful than that." Ranma blushed viciously as he calmed himself. Nemesis sobered up and with a more serious face, she asked, "Are you ready?" Ranma nodded, bracing himself for any amount of pain. "I, Nemesis, fifth planet, have chosen my avatar!" Power crackled through the air after the declaration.

Ranma felt the power building. He braced himself the best he could before it suddenly exploded into him. Hotaru had spoken the truth of what it felt like, he mused. It felt like his soul was literally ripped from his body, giving him an empty feeling that was worse than space-teleporting. As fast as his 'soul' was gone, something new began to fill him up. The emptiness was filled in no time, and it filled him past what it was before. The power flooded into him, making him feel more powerful than ever before. He felt invincible.

Nemesis worked fast once the power entered Ranma. She reached inside his body and ripped out his Heart Crystal. The new power inside him kept him alive as Nemesis infused the Heart Crystal with her powers as well, altering it into a Senshi's. The blue orb flared with power as it transformed, growing larger and brighter. When the radiating blue light became almost blinding, Nemesis forced the new crystal back into Ranma's body.

Ranma felt his clothes vanish in a burst of light. Instead of embarrassing him, he welcomed it as something began materializing over him. It surrounded his entire form before solidifying. After that came, something moderately heavy materialized as part of the thing surrounding his body. Ranma looked down to see Ryu's style uniform on him now. It wasn't like a spandex as the old running joke that the mentor and apprentice shared mentioned, but more like a form fitting suit of armor. However, the armor was light enough to not burden him and spread as to not restrict mobility. A sleeve of what _seemed_ like leather opened in the back for Ranma to place his scythe into.

Ranma smiled despite himself. Ryu was right: he would wear it some day. As he landed back on the ground, finally realizing he had floated during the duration, Ranma felt something uncomfortable when he took a step. Looking down, he saw the newest addition to the armor. The protective cup seemed a little small. Ranma pulled off the piece, looked at it for a moment, and then adjusted the size with the magic he felt flowing through him into something that would fit him better.

After Ranma reattached the plate, he suddenly remembered Nemesis standing there. He blushed fiercely at her mischievous grin and raised eyebrow. Nemesis sat down on her grass and patted the spot next to her. Ranma was obliged to obey.

He watched her smooth out her dress a little before she spoke, "You are now my avatar; I am now and forever your planet. We are linked in ways you can't even begin to imagine. Everything that is mine is now yours: my land, my power, and even my body if you so wished it." She winked at him suggestively causing Ranma to look away. "At the same time, my will is now yours. It's not a mind-altering thing like it sounds, but more like a harmony between us. What you do is what I wish you to do, no matter how much you think is your own doing. That said, the same also goes to what ever you do will result in being my wish. It is a balance of sorts. You still have your freewill and with it my satisfaction."

Ranma blinked and looked back at her, "What?"

Nemesis sighed and looked up to her sky. "It's confusing, I know. Maybe an example will help. Let's say someone is about to get hurt. If you weren't my avatar, you would help them because that's who you are. Now, if you were my avatar, you would still help them, but it would be because I want you to. I would say its more like your every action pleasing me than me willing your every action, but it's a mutual feeling. We are one now, like two minds for one conscious. The one conscious keeps us of similar opinion over a decision, but the two minds allow us to do separate things. Do you get it?" (1)

With a shake of his head, Ranma said, "No, but let's move on."

Nemesis smiled to herself as she shook her head. "As a Senshi, your primary duty is to the people. You already know that, I believe." Ranma's nodded for confirmation. "As long as my planet still stands, my power is yours to help the people in all ways possible."

Ranma suddenly thought of something, "What if this planet wasn't still standing? If it was destroyed in some way?"

"That depends on what you mean by destroyed. If I were to suddenly crumble or shatter, you would still have my power as my planet still exists. However, if I were to be completely obliterated like Gastral or Zuluzu, then you would not still have my powers," Nemesis replied solemnly.

"What about the other planet's? Do they also have some… person going around as a living embodiment of their essence?" Ranma asked.

Nemesis smiled at the question. "They could, but most don't. The only other one I've known to do so is Earth. Terra is known to walk around at times. I've met with her once or twice."

Ranma scratched the back of his head, "Isn't it kinda of… strange that two planets can go on a stroll with each other and talk? Doesn't that kind of defy the universe?"

"Just because they live in different houses doesn't mean two neighbors can't 'go on a stroll with each other,'" Nemesis replied with a grin.

"I… I guess," Ranma replied with uncertainty.

"Now, I need to teach you how to access my power. This has always been a hard part for all of my Senshi. I want to say 'just reach on up there and squeeze the juices right out of me for your own pleasure,' but I don't think that's quite right. I don't give you the power, and the words don't just bring it forth. You need to take it and use it for yourself. Remember, everything that's mine is yours, so it could better be seen as you taking your own power," Nemesis tried to explain.

Ranma clearly missed her innuendo, but his thoughts were spiraling back to his time with the Urgoks. Adafild had taught him to take the power out of them. It was like how she described. He had to reach inside to the core, squeeze the magic out, and then he could do what he wished with it. The hardest part of that training had been locating the core, but once he had found it, taking and using magic was as simple as using ki.

Ranma looked at her strangely, "Where is your core?"

Nemesis blinked at the question. For some reason, he seemed to know what he was talking about. Nemesis gestured lazily to the area around her, "The whole planet… or me. You can take it from either."

To do magic as a normal person, one would have to take the magic in the air to do something. Most places had little amounts, so only small spells were possible, however, some places, like when in the presence of demonata, the magic was heavier and thus easier to cast spells. However, a trick that some people learned was taking magic from something else. It was rare, but one could take magic from the ground or trees or even the stars above them.

Adafild had explained it vividly. He encouraged his master to take it from the planet, to try it. Ranma had been surprised to find as much in the ground as was in the air, and he was told it would be there even if the demonata weren't. However, 'finding' and 'using' were two very different words. Although Ranma felt all the magic from the planet, he couldn't take it from its source. With the Urgoks, however, he could feel each one's limited magic and was fully able to rip it from them.

Ranma found that this was much similar. Ranma could feel the planet's almost unending reserves, but unlike before, he could sink his hands into it and manipulate it to his will. He found that using Nemesis the woman's magic was almost the same as using an Urgok's, except she had equal power to the planet.

As Ranma was reaching inside her and caressing her power, Nemesis grinned suggestively at him. "Deeper, deeper!" Ranma reached in deeper unexpectedly, taken by her command. He pulled back instantly when she let out a fake moan. She grinned up at him, "You're worse than Ryu was. He would at least go with it for a while."

Ranma sighed in annoyance, "I just want to learn how to be a Senshi, not play secret planet lover."

Nemesis shrugged. "There's not much else. You seem to already know how to access my power, so all that's left are my two planetary spells. They are _Chaos Bolt_ and _Eris Ascension_. The first is just your average magical attack, nothing special. Ryu never used it thinking his _Shadow Dragon_ stronger after learning to infuse it with magic. _Eris Ascension_, however, is my most powerful spell. It is a planet cracker. It is like Saturn's ability, but more defined. It destroys all life on the planet and also the planet itself. It causes all of the planet's power to implode into itself, wiping out life and rupturing the planet. I would ask that you don't practice that here."

Ranma went cold when he understood exactly how powerful that spell was. He swore to never use it. There were absolutely no situations that should involve the destruction of a whole planet to solve a problem. Remembering what she said about the _Shadow Dragon_ and what he remembered feeling when Ryu had used it, Ranma wondered what his _Fubuki Sousou_ would be like if it was magic infused. Instead of trying it right out, he turned to ask one more question.

"Is there ever a time when I'm done? Do I ever quit being a Senshi? Your Senshi?"

The mischief left Nemesis's eyes. Her grin died down to a sad smile. She put an arm around his shoulder and quoted, "Till death do us part…"

XXXX

The next day, back on Earth's moon Luna, Ranma stood before all of the Senshi. He was the only one not transformed. His scythe was safely in its custom holster on his back. His hard blue eyes scanned over each on, forcing himself not to linger on familiar faces like Senshi Pluto or Saturn. Most wore neutral expressions, but a couple glared in outright hatred, mainly Senshi Uranus and her lover. The Senshi of Mars, however, was grinning at him.

"Never thought the day would come where you would be training me, Gaki," the woman said. Her brown falcon wings were out of the skin but also folded against her back. It showed that she was not threatened, but was being cautious.

Ranma simply nodded once to her before speaking, "Alright, to understand where all of your skill, teamwork, and raw power currently lie, we are going to do a basic fight. All of you verse me." He half expected some outburst of commotion, but they were silent due to being informed of his power beforehand. He dropped into a balanced stance and said, "Ready… Begin!"

Ranma lurched forward after his own command. He stayed low, easily ducking a fireball sent his way, as he charged Neptune. When he reached her, he swept with his foot hoping to knock her legs out. Instead, the teal haired woman jumped over the foot and shouted, "_DEEP SUBMERGE!"_

Ranma quickly back-flipped away, extremely hesitant to have to reveal his curse in the first minute of training. However, the moment he stopped his retreat, he had to dodge a "_SILENCE GLAIVE SURPRISE!_" Ranma briefly looked back at the new crater in the training ground.

He ducked under a swing of the Garnet Rod that came from behind and caught Pluto with his foot. The woman skidded back a few feet so he moved to Mercury. As he started towards her, she suddenly shouted, "_Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!_" At the same time, a World Shaking and a Supreme Thunder were sent his way.

Still avoiding water, Ranma jumped to the right and faced the incoming World Shaking. He held out his left hand and yelled, "_MOKO TAKABISHA REVISED: apathetic edition!"_ The ki attacked slammed into the golden orb and the two negated each other.

Ranma continued towards the blond haired woman and shouted, "Time for your first lesson!" He hit the woman hard, forcing her body to the ground face first. She continued back a few feet, making a small trench. Ranma didn't give her time to recover as he yelled, "Remorselessness!" With a heavy blow, he hit the Senshi in the stomach with most of his strength.

Uranus jerked, coughing up blood. She was forced farther down in the crater from the blow. She started wheezing before passing out.

After the first Senshi was downed, Ranma took out the one she was closest to: Neptune. He used his ki attack to stop her next attack before he was upon her. His hand in a fist, he clouted the temple and sent her back with a hard kick to the stomach. She landed next to Uranus, also unconscious. Ranma didn't hesitate as he side-flipped to the left the second he incapacitated the Senshi over a Fire Soul Sniper. He noticed the slow chanted she had to do before she could attack.

From a palace balcony, Crystal watched the fight without flinching. The man, the one who had killed her Ryu, was defeating the Senshi without any troubles, one by one. He wasn't even using his ki attacks offensively, only to stop their magical attacks. She couldn't blame the Senshi for their shortcomings; they weren't trained to fight opponents that magical attacks wouldn't work on.

The Queen continued watching until there were only two left standing. She didn't know if Ranma had purposely ignored them for a reason, but that was when the fight became serious. Senshi Saturn and Senshi Pluto were all that was left against Ranma.

Ranma turned to the last two with hard eyes, leaving Venus with a broken nose on the ground, unconscious. Hotaru was holding her glaive in a defensive stance with Pluto next to her in an offensive one. Ranma sprinted forward, crushing his fear of hurting them, knowing that it was necessary. Just before he could reach them, Hotaru yelled, "_SILENCE WALL!_"

Ranma was moving too fast and the wall was formed too close for him to prevent hitting it. Instead, he lowered his shoulder and slammed into with all his force. Pain exploded through his body, but he was content to see Saturn wince from the force of holding the shield. Before he could send a ki attack to break through, Hotaru had already reacted.

Still holding the wall, Hotaru shouted, "_SILENCE GLAIVE SURPRISE!_" Ranma whipped his scythe out and slashed downward just as the whole world grew silent. Ranma had infused the scythe with what ki he could in an attempt to cut through. He didn't know if it would work, but Marx had done it against him so he guessed it would.

It felt like trying to cut through solid steel. Ranma cut through just in time as the attack split and exploded off to the sides of him. However, Ranma was suddenly hit by something in the chest and he was knocked back. He grunted as he collided with the ground. He looked up to see Pluto standing there.

_She must have cast her spell during the silence of Hotaru's attack. Clever,_ he mused as he rolled to his feet and sprang forward towards the Time Keeper. Just before he could attack, Pluto teleported. Ranma was surprised, remembering that the woman couldn't teleport properly when near him. He spun around just in time to see another Dead Scream headed his way. He tried to jump to the right, but he hit another Silence Wall and took the attack full force.

As Ranma tumbled across the artificial dirt, he grinned to himself at the girls' teamwork. The others had been okay at working together, but these two were able to move like one force, one mind. Once he stopped moving, he sheathed his scythe and sprinted towards Hotaru once again. As he ran, he yelled, "_FUBUKI SOUSOU!_"

The attack was weak as he didn't take the time to chill the air, but it still had enough power to weaken the Silence Wall Saturn formed. He put his entire strength into his next punch as he came to the shield. With a loud crack, the wall collapsed (2). Hotaru was panting, out of breath, and quickly fell victim to Ranma.

Instead of laying into her like he did to the rest, Ranma tapped her in the forehead, causing her eyes to widen. Ranma whispered, "Dead," before grabbing her and tossing her on the pile of unconscious Senshi. Hotaru got the idea and remained where she was, opting to watch the rest of the fight.

The fight between Ranma and Senshi Pluto was the most interesting of them all. Ranma would try to attack the woman, but she would teleport just before he got close enough to some random nearby place. Even the Senshi didn't seem to know where she was going to end up, evident when she had ended up inside the palace behind the Queen. She had blinked, looked around, and teleported again.

Getting frustrated, Ranma started sending out basic Moko Takabisha's in a wild attempt to hit the Senshi. She had teleported away from just about all of them, and the couple that hit didn't even faze her. Ranma was getting winded from using up so much ki. He must have sent out several dozen by the time he was breathing hard.

In a fit of sheer luck, Pluto had ended up teleporting too close to him. Ranma came lightning fast with his fist, but even so Pluto had teleported once again. However, that teleport ended with her only a couple of inches to the right. Ranma came like a train as the evasive Senshi took the hit and slammed into the training ground wall.

Ranma didn't stop moving as he ran to the wall. The Senshi was barely conscious, but her half-closed eyes could still focus enough to know that Ranma stood there in front of her. Ranma tapped her forehead, causing her to wince, and said, "Dead." After, he offered her his hand.

Pluto weakly grasped his hand, and he tugged her out of the hole. She stumbled, so Ranma put his arm around her shoulder so she could lean on him. They got to Hotaru, where Ranma removed his arm and Pluto collapsed onto the ground, spent from walking the short distance. Hotaru immediately began healing her.

Ranma watched them for a moment, his emotions buried deep, before he wrenched his gaze away and left back to the palace.

Ranma entered the palace and walked straight to the throne room. He approached the Queen, noting that Yuka stood beside her in a royal gown. Also inside the room were several of the elite royal guard and a few councilwomen. Ranma continued to the throne and stood before the Queen. She looked at him expectantly, so Ranma spoke, "They are all dead. The Moon Kingdom has fallen. I am just one of eight and not even close to the strongest." Several people stopped and gaped at his words.

Crystal folded her hands across her lap. "And with our entire armies?"

Ranma clenched his fist as he stared at the Queen. "The Moon Kingdom cannot win. The Dark Moon will come, they will kill you all, and they will not be stopped."

"Is that so, Ranma?" She asked in a low voice, almost a whisper. "Do we really have no hope? Is there nothing you can do?"

Ranma sighed and looked away from her intense purple eyes. "I… I don't know. I honestly don't. Given enough time, I could get your Senshi ready. However, I would need years for that and we don't have that much time. Transformed, I could most likely take some of the combat squad, but not all of them. Then there's the matter of the Dark Moon's army. They aren't against using demons, and if you were right, if they really were the ones who captured me, they have demon masters in their ranks. Even I cannot harm a demon master, maybe only annoy it if transformed. Even your Ginzuisho wouldn't be enough to stop one."

Crystal closed her eyes and leaned back against her throne. Ranma turned to leave, his report having been given. A voice stopped him, "Ranma-kun, if you have time, can we talk?"

Ranma turned slightly to look at Yuka. He smiled and gestured for her to follow him. She followed at a measured distance, the action being normal for her as a secretary. They went outside to the courtyard. Ranma grabbed her and leaped up into a tree.

The Nekomata purred as they sat on a thick tree branch, enjoying the beauty of the courtyard. She was leaning against Ranma, her two tails flicking behind her lazily. Ranma turned his head towards her, "So… You wanna explain what happened?"

Nekomata grinned up at him, "I asked you to explain the whole red headed girl thing back on Belican first, remember?"

Ranma groaned, "Maybe another time. My past is way too complicated."

Yuka pouted, "Alright, but I expect that story eventually." She looked off into the courtyard garden as she spoke, "After you left Jupiter, I got into some trouble. Man troubles." Ranma started laughing. She elbowed him, but he didn't seem to notice. "It's not funny! Do you want the story or not?" He quieted down, so she continued, "I was in the mines, as usual, when some guy bumped into me. I yelled at him, he yelled back, and then we got into a fight.

"Soon, the overseer comes on by and sees us. I get reported to Ayame, who in turn says that I've been causing too many problems as of late and was banished temporarily. I was in a scout vessel, heading towards Saturn, when the attack came. Some people apparently had invaded and were killing everyone on board. I ran to the escape pods, but one of the invaders saw me. They knocked me out, but when I woke up, I knew I wasn't in the Moon Kingdom." She started shivering, so Ranma put his arm around her. "I was chained on a table. It… it was terrible. They started doing things to me: injections, beams, surgeries. I don't remember anything specific, but it was all there."

Yuka trailed off, her eyes unfocused. "Then, one day, I woke up and no one was there. My chains were off, so I left. It was then I saw what they did to me. My entire skin was replaced by fur. I ran to the nearest mirror and saw what you see now. In a daze, I left the building. I wandered around for a couple of days. The hospital was in a wasteland. There were no signs of other civilization. And then, one day, some… _thing_ approached me. It was the pig-demon, Sir Anquish. He offered me a job. I tried to decline, but he _insisted_ that I go with him.

"He made a portal that took us to your prison. Nothing was ever explained except for what to do. I started with guard duty, then after about six months I was promoted to injections. It was about another six months of that before they told me to go to some new room. And surprise, surprise, what do I see in there? One Ranma, chained up to the wall. I was actually kind of afraid when I first saw you. I didn't want you to know what had happened to me, especially with how we used to get along. But that didn't stop me from telling you that I knew you."

She smirked up at him, "Then again, I wasn't trying to cover myself very hard. I can't believe it took you this long to figure it out."

Ranma shrugged the best he could in their position. "A few years of that hell tends to fog the memory."

Yuka looked at him with an unreadable emotion for a bit before continuing, "Here's some new stuff. Some of the demons started rebelling against the masters. Apparently they were enslaved demons, not ones ruled, and the charm wore off. Mary came to get me. I can't explain how, but she made a portal and pushed me through it. The last words I heard from here were "I am going to get Ranma out, don't worry." Apparently, she did. Anyways, I ended up on some planet called Mau."

Ranma shivered unexpectedly, causing the Nekomata to smirk. "I fit in well over there apparently. It was a whole planet of cat people."

Ranma let out a breath, "So _that's_ why I don't like that place."

Yuka pushed herself off his shoulder and looked at him strangely, "Why is it you don't like cats? I've seen the fear that takes you from anything cat related, except for me. For me, even then there are certain things that cause you to tremble slightly. I've seen a lot of guys who were totally into this whole cat-girl thing, I've seen a lot of guys who were scared senseless of me, but you are the first who is afraid without caring about how I look like a demon."

Ranma turned his head to look into her slitted pupils. He took in her heart-shaped nose, her whiskers, her cat ears, and the silver fur. The sight caused fear to course through his body, yet at the same time something gave him a sense of peace. The two emotions rolled around each other, not quiet canceling each other out. Instead, it gave him a feeling of being on an island of peace while surrounded by a sea of fear.

"A third of my nightmares involved the little hell-spawns. It has something to do with my childhood, that's all I'm willing to say."

Nekomata studied him for a bit more before returning her head to his shoulder with a sigh, "Later, I guess. On Mau, I asked around and found out that the Kingdom had rescued prisoners from demons and had taken them to Belican. It took a couple of weeks before I had enough money to hitch a ride over and find you."

Ranma frowned suddenly, "When did you find out they rescued us?"

"Well, that was the first thing I set out to do. It took a couple of hours, but-"

"Bastards!" Ranma interrupted angrily. "When I first got out, I was 'experimented' on for three weeks."

Yuka's unique purple eyes widened, "Three weeks? That's how long it took for me to get enough money and come find you. They said you were rescued before that."

Ranma nodded as his frown deepened, "Exactly. I think we found out who experimented on you, as well as me. That certainly explains a lot of things. Please, continue."

Yuka restrained her fury as she continued, "As I was working, Maggot found me. As you know, it took three weeks to get enough money. Once I had that, we found you easy enough. Then the whole Dark Moon Palace thing happened. Once you went inside the room, the bitch came back out and told me you were dead. Now that I think about it, Maggot went back into the throne room and I never saw him again. Anyways, Metaria told me she knew I was from the Moon Kingdom and told me to 'go home.'

"Once I got here, Serenity-sama came to me. I told her what happened to you, and she made me her personal secretary. That was a year ago," Yuka summed up.

Ranma was looking out in the distance, his eyes unfocused as his thoughts churned. "Maggot went back into the main chamber, huh? Probably right back to his best-bud Sir Anquish. Told you we should have killed him back on Belican." He paused and looked down at her, "So what about all this? Mercury not good enough to fix it?"

Nekomata shook her head, "No, it's not that. I can't really explain why, but I kind of like this form. Not only is it stronger, making more capable of defending myself, but it symbolizes a new start. Almost no one can tell where I'm from or who I was. After all the problems on Jupiter, I like this new life. I don't want to go back to that."

Ranma didn't respond right away. Instead, he turned to her and smiled. "A wish for a new life? I can relate with that."

XXXX

Several hours later, Ranma stood before the Senshi once again. They were all healed and conscious. More than a few were shooting him dirty looks, but he brushed them off. Only Hotaru was smiling at him, while Pluto was a controlled neutral.

"Alright, believe it or not, that wasn't half bad. Your teamwork was fairly good, and your magical power was exceptional. However, as you can remember, magical attacks won't work on me like they do on other things. What you are going to be fighting in the near future is far worse than me. So now what do you do? Everything you have trained for has now been for nothing. You are back on square one. What do you do?" He let silence follow that.

He drew his scythe lightning fast and impaled the wood into the ground. "You get better. Magical attacks don't work? Do something else. It's called improvising, get used to it." He stood behind his scythe, allowing it to stand freely. "As you all have been informed, I am here to train you. I'm here to show you what to do against people like me.

"I'll let you know right now that you could have _easily_ beaten me with just your magical abilities. You have planets supplying you power, going infinitely beyond mine. All you needed was proper form and good enough speed to take me down. After you were all taken down, Pluto and Saturn were able to hit me several times because of proper form. I need you all able to do the same thing," he paused for a second to look Ame, the Senshi of Mars, in the eye. "For example, what was with that chanting bullshit? I took down Uranus AND Neptune before you were able to send that off."

Mars blushed, her wings folding against her. "I- I needed to charge up before my attack. The chanting helps me focus and bring my power forth."

"Chanting is going to get you and your friends killed. You need your power out and ready at all times during a fight. The spells need to fly as fast as you speak. With the power each of you have at your disposal, unleashing spells endlessly isn't going to drain your reserves. To take down a stronger target, even one stronger than all of you put together, you need to hammer it. Don't let up and keep hitting it until it can't move," Ranma advised. "However, accuracy and attack patterns are important. If the target is fast, you could just as easily hit your own side if you surround a target."

"Also," Ranma continued, "like I said before, if the target is immune to magic, you need to do something else. Mars, you have wings, not everything can survive a fall from 1000 feet. Saturn, you have your Silence Glaive. Pluto, I know you are skilled with the Garnet Rod, but you need to get better. Jupiter, I've seen several of the techniques you have back in the mines. Start using them! And Mercury, where the _hell_ is your technology?"

The blue haired woman glared at Ranma, "I am a Senshi, I don't need the technology to protect-" She stopped suddenly when Ranma had all but disappeared and reappeared right in front of her with his hand around her neck.

"You are dead, Senshi. Your whole planet has just fallen. If you had the _basic_ infantry shield, this wouldn't have happened. The needs of the people before your pride. If you're dead, they're dead," Ranma growled to her before releasing her throat. "And the rest of you, get weapons! Only one man besides Ryu was able to stop me from getting the Queen. That's right, I said _man_. All of your women fell by my hand. But this _man_ not only rallied the remaining guards, he also singlehandedly held me off on his own power, and it wasn't magical."

Ranma kept the invasion to the forefront of their minds. He admitted that he was mistaken to attack, but he felt no need to hide what had happened. It was a fresh example of how they all weren't ready to face what was to come.

"Marx, I heard his name was, is not a Senshi. He doesn't have the wings of Mars, the superior body of Nemesis, nor the technology of Mercury. This man had just his sword and his skill and with that he held me off," Ranma leveled a sharp glare at all the Senshi. Their pride was holding them back. The pride of a woman or the pride of a Senshi or the pride of their experience, it didn't matter; it was in the way and needed to be removed.

Ranma took a long look at the Senshi and said, "The last thing I have to say for today is how to fight. I'm not talking about skills or technique; I'm talking about state of mind. Remorselessness: with it you can end fights long before they truly begin. If the enemy goes down, make sure they stay down. You can't hold back in a fight. You cannot imagine how many fights I've been in where I think I've won, let my guard down, and then get beat down as my opponent snuck back up. Don't feel bad or wonder if an enemy will be okay in the long run. Fight until it stays down for good. No remorse – it's brutal, but it's efficient."

Each woman had a cold look on their face as they stared at him. He ripped his scythe out of the ground, slid it into place, and turned to leave. He took about two steps before spinning back around and catching an attacker's fist. He hooked his foot behind them and forced them onto their knees. With a snap, he broke the wrist. Releasing the arm, he sent a kick into the side of their head, making them fall to the ground and not move. The person didn't lay their long as Ranma punted them into the training room wall where they made a crater and were stuck.

He looked back at the Senshi, "No remorse." With that, he left the room, not once taking a glance at Senshi Mercury who was still in the wall.

As Ranma walked away, he was stopped by a familiar voice, "Ranma!"

Ranma stopped and turned around. "Senshi Saturn."

Hotaru slowed down once she caught up with him. She looked nervous. "I was wondering if we could talk. We have a few years of catching up to do." Ranma smiled at her.

Now twenty-two years old, Hotaru looked much more mature. Her long, black hair reached the middle of her back, a major change from the shoulder length he had last seen her with. She had filled out more, Ranma noticed with a slight amount of embarrassment. His eyes had more than once been drawn astray when they walked to a more private place. Along with the maturity, she was also more deadly. Ranma saw her eyes and understood that she was willing to end a life if needed. He had seen that she had done it before on more than one occasion.

They reached the Saturn Guest Quarters, and Hotaru guided him into her room. Ranma instantly noticed the purple theme. A variety of different shades of the color invaded every object. He also noticed how spacious the room was compared to other royal rooms he had been it. It almost rivaled Hotaru's actual room back on Saturn.

Hotaru plopped herself down on the bed and told Ranma to make himself comfortable. Finding the room a little _too_ spacious as there was no place to sit within reasonable talking distance, Ranma decided to stand. Hotaru spoke first, "So… I guess I more or less know what happened to you, so I guess I'll just tell you what happened to me during your… absence."

They spent several hours talking, in which Ranma had eventually moved from standing to sitting next to her on the bed. Ranma was surprised at several things, such as Ryu actually moving into the Titan Palace to fulfill the promise and Saturn leaving the Moon Kingdom to form the Silent Chaos. He made a few comments and told brief stories of his time gone. He thought about telling her about the Urgoks but decided against it in the end. It would be a surprise for later. Once it was well after dark, Ranma bid Hotaru goodnight with a chuckle.

Ranma's room wasn't near as nice as Hotaru's, but he wasn't complaining. He preferred a spare room over the Nemesis Guest Quarters where Ryu had been staying for the few weeks before the attack. It didn't feel right for him to go and sleep in that room yet. The simple room he did stay at had grey walls and was completely empty save for one bed. That was all he needed.

Before he laid down, Ranma thought of something. He removed his shirt and looked at the tattoo that marked him as a demon master. He channeled magic into the blood red mark and sent only a single word with it to his demons: _one._

Almost immediately, a ripping sound was a heard and a figure appeared in a burst of blue light. Kresh stood before Ranma, armed with his spear, shield, and scimitar. The demon was slightly different from when Ranma first met him. He had grown to about three feet tall, and looked more heavily muscled. The spider leg-like Mohawk hair was longer and wilder now. Power also seemed to roll off him in waves, although it came no where near the power Sir Anquish gave off.

Another thing Ranma noticed, with a pang of regret, is the 'no bullshit' look the Guardian had on his face. He remembered vividly how he had left the village, treating them like a real, coldhearted demon master. In face of that, Ranma guessed they decided to forsake their human emotions to act like real demons.

Ranma kneeled before his friend, taking them eye to eye, and smiled sadly. "It's okay, Kresh, I'm better now. I'm sorry."

The Guardian demon blinked at its master a couple of times, before it relaxed slightly and a grin spread across its face. "That is very good, sir. We were worried that you might kill us or abandon us."

Ranma sighed and sat down on his bed. "I might have, Kresh, but not anymore. Those people who came did stuff to me, they changed me like that. For that, I'm going to kill them all."

Kresh looked at his master strangely, "You don't need to explain yourself to me, sir. The fact that you are better now is more than enough to satisfy us." He looked around the room and seemed to understand that it was for sleeping as he placed his spear and shield on the ground. He grinned up and Ranma and said, "And when you kill them, make sure I'm there to help, sir."

Ranma tossed his scythe next to Kresh's weapons and lay back on the bed. "I will on two conditions: you must help me train the Senshi and… you must no longer call me sir or master."

Kresh glanced at his master before shrugging and lying down on the floor. "Sure thing, Mistress."

"No 'mistress' either," Ranma deadpanned, "Just call me Ranma."

"Okay, Lord Ranma."

"ARGH!"

XXXX

Just after breakfast the next day, the Senshi came once again to Ranma's training. His blue eyes were cold as he glanced over each one. Mercury was glaring more than usual, but Ranma didn't linger on her. He simply noted that she was fully healed and ready for more.

An unusual thing about this training session was the thing standing next to Ranma. The Guardian Urgok, Kresh, had yet to say anything as Ranma studied his students. He had all his weapons out and was drawing more than a few stares as he stood there at the ready. He also studied the girls in front of him, checking each of their powers.

Ranma cleared his throat to bring all of their attentions back to him. "Today, I'm going to demonstrate a real fight for you to see. This here is Kresh, an Urgok. He is my familiar and my friend." A few were confused at what he meant, but Mercury's glare turned into a dark frown.

"You mean he is a demon?" She asked, alerting the others who became more hostile.

Ranma nodded as he took a step in front of the demon, between it and the Senshi. "He is _my_ demon. I already told the Queen: the Dark Moon Kingdom isn't against using demons. Working for them has its perks." It was a lie, but he didn't want to explain really happened to them. He took off his shirt, revealing the tattoo and his muscles that left a couple of the girls blushing.

Pointing to the blood red mark on his shoulder, Ranma continued, "This marks me as the Urgoks' master. They aren't your typical 'evil demons.' They are only as evil as I tell them to be, and before you get the idea to attack him or me, I want you to realize that he can take you down just as easily as me, except he is more fatal in his attacks." That held off the Senshi from attacking, but their resentment was still there.

Seeing things under control, he said, "As I was saying, Kresh and I are going to demonstrate a real fight. I want each of you to pay attention. There are two things to watch for. Kresh is magically superior to me and you'll see how to take me down with magic. The other thing to see is what you do when your magic is useless against an opponent; you watch me for that."

He turned his attention away from the girls and moved to the center of the training area. Kresh got the idea and moved away from the girls, but kept at a good distance from Ranma. The two looked at each other for a moment before Ranma thumped his scythe on the ground three times.

Kresh didn't wait and charged with his spear leveled. When the Urgok was close enough, Ranma deflected the spear with the blade of his scythe and lashed out with the back of it. Kresh raised his shield and pressed forward. The wood hit the shield with a loud clang. Ranma stepped back from the advancing Urgok and lashed out with a kick. Kresh dodged easily and stabbed with his spear. Ranma sidestepped and struck with his scythe again. Kresh blocked again and lunged with the spear. Ranma prepared to roll to the left when suddenly the thrust was turned into a feint and the shield rammed into him.

If the Senshi didn't understand how much power the two had before, they understood when Ranma was suddenly launched back to the other end of the room and imbedded into the wall from that one hit. Ranma just grinned and pulled himself out. He landed on the floor looking none the worse for wear. He held his palm out and shouted, "_MOKO TAKABISHA REVISED: apathetic edition!"_

Kresh in turn gathered his magic. His deep blue pupils went from slitted to dilated until they filled the entire eye, covering the green that was there before. A bolt of fire left his hands and rammed into Ranma's attack, negating the two. Kresh didn't stop there as he kept shooting different blasts of magic at Ranma. Ranma, instead of canceling each attack, smoothly dodged them and charged forward. Just before he could get to the demon, Kresh formed a large wave of fire in front of him and sent it forward.

Ranma flipped over the wave but was surprised to see it suddenly jump up and follow after him. Seeing no other choice, Ranma stopped the fire with a revised Moko Takabisha. Just before he could hit the ground, Kresh kicked Ranma. Ranma grabbed the small demon's foot, swung it around, and launched it towards a wall. Kresh leveled himself before impact and landed sideways on the wall with his feet. He propelled off it towards Ranma and threw his spear, drawing the scimitar while still in the air.

The spear came faster than most of the Senshi could see, but Ranma had no problem plucking it out of the air and impaling it in the ground till only a few inches were visible. He flipped his scythe up just in time to parry the scimitar. Instead of taking the full blow as Kresh had more momentum, Ranma let the sword slide off as he crouched and lashed up with a wicked kick.

The training room was not entirely enclosed, so Kresh went quiet a few feet in the air before coming back down. Ranma didn't wait as he jumped back up to meet the demon in the air. The two had a quick exchange that ended with Ranma kicking the demon down hard, making it lose its balance and slamming into the ground.

As Ranma made his decent, he noticed more blasts of magic being sent his way. He resisted grinning at Mars as he did impossible twists and dodges in the air. Ranma arched his back only inches above a bolt that would have frozen him solid if it made contact before landed on the ground cleanly. His victory was short lived as hundreds of vines ripped out of the ground and tried to grab him.

It was almost humorous to see Ranma cutting down the vines with the scythe like a farmer would a field of wheat. However, the vines were too fast and too many for Ranma. It wasn't long before he had almost a dozen on each limb holding him down. Ranma struggled against his bonds, but he almost stopped when Kresh came out of his small crater and gathered a storm of lightning. Ranma felt the power behind the gathered attack and knew that if it hit, he would be out for the fight.

Instead of continuing to struggle, Ranma tapped into the magic in the air and used it to cool the area near him. It was an unspoken rule that Ranma wouldn't take the magic from his familiar when sparring as he considered that unfair. The air dropped below freezing right when Kresh sent out the lightning. "_FUBUKI SOUSOU!"_

The empowered, snow white ball of infused ki exploded against the lightning. Kresh didn't just send out a blast this time as he channeled more and more power into the attack. Ranma instantly saw what was happening and started yelling, "_FUBUKI SOUSOU! FUBUKI SOUSOU! FUBUKI SOUSOU!_" Each blast of ki pushed the lightning further and further back, but after the last one, Ranma was breathing hard and Kresh was still channeling.

Ranma took the magic around him to form blades of air that severed the vines holding him. He escaped just in time to roll away from the lightning, feeling the volts humming against his back as it skimmed by. Ranma didn't hesitate as he ran to Kresh and punched as hard as he could - the scythe was lost when the vines captured him. Kresh canceled the lightning and tried to raise his shield, but Ranma was already there. The punch hit Kresh hard, his circular body snapping back from the force.

Ranma didn't stop running after he hit his demon. He was there before Kresh had the chance to hit the ground, sending an elbow straight down. Kresh blocked it with his shield, but the force sent him down into the ground with the most damage being done to his unprotected back. Ranma held his hand out and shouted, "_MOKO TAKABISHA REVISED: apathetic edition!_" The ki blast hammered down into the new crater. Ranma send a punch into the hole before the dust even cleared.

The Senshi were shocked at what their 'trainer' was doing. He had spoken the truth about remorselessness. He never gave the demon a chance to rise up again. They began to wonder if he killed his own familiar when suddenly Ranma was shot by something. He flew through the air in a perfect arch and hit the ground hard, his body smoking slightly. They felt a huge burst of power coming from the hole the demon was in.

Kresh appeared out of the hole surrounded in visible power. A silvery aura surrounded him that radiated pure power. The Senshi were sure that he could kill them all with that power and not even try. Kresh spoke, "Lord Ranma, feel free to steal my magic now. It is no longer just my own so taking it will balance things."

Ranma grunted a laugh from his position. He still hadn't gotten up. "I felt what you did there - taking the moon's magic. Kresh, my friend, you are well on your way to becoming a demon master yourself. No worries about that power. I may not be able to do it in your world, but I found a way to do it here."

Kresh's green eyes with blue pupils had changed. The green had been replaced by black and the blue pupils by silver. It was these more demonic eyes that stared at Ranma with passivity, knowing it was strong enough to defeat its own master with such power. If Ranma was talking about what Kresh thought he was, this fight was about to become interesting.

Ranma finally pulled himself up. His body was a charred mess of red and black from whatever Kresh had done to him. His clothes were ripped in places, showing small cuts on his body. Ranma walked over to where his scythe had fallen and picked it up. He closed his eyes and seemed to lean on it to stay standing. He whispered to himself, "I swear right now that this is the only time I say this. I _will_ find a way to do this without saying it."

Ranma's eyes snapped open as power erupted through him. He gripped his scythe and yelled, "NEMESIS PLANET POWER: … oh dear god … MAKE UP!" He shamefully heard Hotaru's giggle and saw Pluto's smirk just as the Greek symbol of Nemesis started glowing.

Ranma's clothes vanished in the burst of light. He hung his head in embarrassment at the temporary exposure and used his one hand to try (and fail) to cover himself before a torrent of light exploded around him. Ranma felt the light caress his form before solidifying. The light continued on and the second, heavier part of the uniform materialized. Ranma gripped his scythe and swung it around to get a feel of the weapon before the light receded and he landed in a pose.

(3) Ranma realized how he was standing and snapped to a ready stance while growling. "I swear that _that_ will be the only time," he muttered to himself. Louder, he said, "Remember, Onee-chan, what I said about your power." He pinpointed Nemesis the planet's position from the moon and reached for its power. He ripped it from the planet and forced it into himself. Power radiated from him, matching his demon's in intensity. "You bring your power forth…" Ranma lectured. He held his hand out and the power in him shifted. "And you attack as fast as you can speak! _CHAOS BOLT!"_

A small black dot appeared in Ranma's hand and began growing in size. When it was about as large as a basketball, he tossed it towards Kresh. The ball orb streaked across the training room straight towards the demon. Kresh didn't even move his arms as a silvery beam shot out of his aura and slammed into the orb. The two attacks exploded with a loud boom and a small shockwave was sent out, but the wave only moved the two fighter's clothing as they stared at each other.

Ranma grinned and started running forward shouting, "_CHAOS BOLT! CHAOS BOLT! CHAOS BOLT! CHAOS BOLT!"_ True to his word, the attacks came as fast as he spoke. Instead of letting the attacks build in his palm, Ranma tossed the bolts when they were still the small dots and let them grow in the air before Kresh destroyed them. Kresh moved once Ranma had covered half the distance between them.

The Guardian held its hand up and shot off a silvery orb. As a demon, he had no need to speak to ignite magic. They used it through control, and control was all he practiced in the spars between him and Ranma.

Ranma saw the approaching attack and tossed the rest of Nemesis's magic into his next attack, "_CHAOS BOLT!"_ Instead of the usual orb, this one grew to about three feet in diameter. Ranma was already grabbing more power from his planet. The silver orb and the Chaos Bolt hit each other with a deafening explosion. Silvery streams and black threads arced around each other before they exploded. Ranma quickly used magic to stop the backlash of the explosion from hitting the Senshi.

Kresh didn't even budge when the shockwave rolled over him. His magic aura parted it without any problems. Ranma had a similar effect as he flared his planet's magic and the shockwave rolled past him. Ranma was then close enough to fight melee. He poured the magic into his fist and tried to hit Kresh.

Ranma's fist became surrounded with a black orb of magic as it impacted the aura, and with a harsh ripping sound it pierced through and continued towards the demon. Kresh didn't even look as another silvery orb appeared inside the aura and blocked Ranma's attack. The silvery orb drained all the magic from Ranma's fist, removing the black glow that had surrounded it. However, Ranma still had his strength as he hit Kresh, sending the demon flying towards another wall.

It took Kresh only a few seconds to stop his momentum and stop in the air, hovering. He looked back to Ranma and grinned, "Why are we fighting in such an organized way? This much power must be unleashed, not controlled, Lord Ranma." As he finished speaking, chunks of the training ground floor ripped up and were morphed into spikes of rock.

Ranma was sweating and panting a little. He wasn't used to channeling so much power through his body yet. Seeing the spikes, he stole more magic from Nemesis and flooded himself with it. The second the spikes start to move towards him, Ranma unleashed a gale of wind unlike any before. The spikes were blown off course and Kresh was slammed into the back wall, temporarily overtaken by the winds.

As Kresh pulled himself out and began gathering power, Ranma's eyes suddenly widened. "Kresh, STOP!" he shouted. (4)

Almost instantly, Kresh released his power and the aura receded. The Guardian landed back on the ground and stared at his master. The look held no curiosity, making Ranma remember that demons can't question their master. Ranma still felt like explaining, "Guardian Kresh, that was too much on both of our parts. You are to never take magic from any planet, star, or moon unless I order you to or you are in a real fight that requires it."

Kresh seemed impassive as he replied, "Yes, Lord Ranma."

Ranma looked around the training room and its destroyed condition. He stole a bit more magic from Nemesis and used it to repair the entire room. Satisfied, he turned back to the Senshi.

He almost laughed at their wide-eyed, slack jawed state. Several of them shook in fear. Ranma sobered up as he spoke, however, "What you just saw was true magic. I had been planning on showing you how to do that, but after what I just did, what I almost did, I… Never mind. I want each of you to understand something. Each member of the combat squad can use magic like that; however, they don't have the infinite magic of a planet to back them up. At the same time, I also don't have the strength to hold that much power for an extended time period."

The Senshi had regained enough of their senses to see how out of it Ranma was. He was breathing hard, leaning on his scythe for support. Sweat drenched him like rain. He looked like he was struggling to stay conscious.

Ranma looked at each of them, noting how blurry they all appeared. He said to them, "For now, you're dismissed. Tomorrow we are going to…" he wavered before straightening, "You are going to do physical training. As you may or may not have seen, there are other ways to fight that aren't magic. Tomorrow, you are to bring a weapon with you. We will…" Ranma's grip on his scythe slipped, but he was able to right himself in time to not fall. "Fuck it. Kresh, help me back to the room."

"Yes, Lord Ranma," the demon said as it walked over calmly, as if it hadn't been in a fight before. Ranma used his sturdy shoulder to lean against, and the duo left the girls behind.

XXXX

"Come in," Ranma called out when he heard a knocking on his door. It was several hours after the training, and he had been resting since then. Kresh was gone, having expressed an interest in exploring the palace. Ranma told him to be careful, not so much concerned for Kresh as those who would attack him.

Ranma wasn't too surprised to see who entered, but he would admit to not expecting it, at least so soon. The Senshi of Pluto opened the door, stepped in, and closed it behind her. She took a moment to look around the plain, small room. Ranma smirked when she grew a look of distaste for it. "Welcome to the royal home of Senshi Nemesis, Senshi Pluto. Please, make yourself comfortable."

The woman cast her crimson eyes over him and her lips curved in a polite smile. "Please, call me Setsuna."

Ranma's azure eyes didn't leave hers as he said, "What can I do for you then, Setsuna?"

The woman broke eye contact as she said, "I wished to talk about my predecessor – my mother – and her death."

Ranma looked into her averted eyes until she looked back at him. "And what do you wish to talk about? You were there for most of it, and you knew her much better than me."

"It's not so much of what happened, as to why it happened that I'm curious to." She cut off Ranma's quick response, "Not the… assassination. I'm talking about you. Why did you not do it? Why did you save me? Those are the questions I want answered."

Setsuna took a step towards Ranma's bed as tears started to form. "I want so much just to hate you. So much! But I can't. You stopped, but you left her to die. Then you saved me! Why would you do that and then save me? I don't understand. At the trial, you made me want to hate you further. You didn't care at all for her. You were guilty; you were the reason she died. But you didn't speak the truth. I had to. Why? _Why?_ Why are you confusing me like this?"

Ranma didn't get up and embrace the girl like his first instinct told him. He laid there on his bed with his one arm folded across his chest as the woman of Time, the one in constant control, cried. After a few seconds, he said, "Your eyes." Setsuna gaze snapped back to his, but her crying continued. "They are just like hers, and I couldn't kill her because of her eyes."

Setsuna couldn't think of anything to say. Emotions ran wild in her, but she was speechless. Ranma continued, "I was ready to end it, to end her. She was at my mercy. I felt all powerful, knowing she couldn't do a thing against my might. But then she looked up at me." Ranma gave a snort of laughter, but it held no amusement. "I had reason to kill her before I was captured, with what she did to me on Saturn. And then, there, at that moment, all that mattered were her eyes. There was something in them, something that made me unable to do it. However, duty required she be killed, and her eyes told me that I couldn't do it, so I compensated."

Ranma didn't blink nor look away from her eyes, but he wasn't staring at her anymore. "And then I saw you. I might not have been able to save her, but I was able to compensate further. Getting you to safety was all that mattered after that. It was all I could do for Pluto, all I felt I should do for Pluto." Ranma's eyes shifted; they didn't move, but they switched from seeing Mihoshi to seeing Setsuna. "You shouldn't have had to have seen that. That was why I apologized."

More tears fell from Setsuna's eyes, from Mihoshi's eyes. "I don't know what to think," she whispered.

"Rage, towards me… or towards the Dark Moon. Sorrow for her death. A wish for her to be back alive. Maybe even numb," Ranma offered to her. "I can't help you choose what to feel, Setsuna. I can lend an ear, maybe some advice, but that's all I can do. I cannot comfort you."

Setsuna nodded and gained some control over herself. She stopped crying and wiped her tears. Once she composed herself, Senshi Pluto muttered, "I also came here to thank you. I never had the opportunity to."

"You have no reason to thank me," Ranma snapped back. It wasn't an angry tone, but it was sharper than he intended. "After what I did, what I allowed to happen, you have no reason to thank me. You even tipped the scale in the trial to allow me to get a chance at life. For that, you should be demanding gratitude from me."

Ranma had all but glared in her red eyes, more red now that she had been crying. Setsuna didn't back down as she softly replied, "It doesn't change the fact that you saved me and that I am grateful that you had done so."

Ranma sighed and nodded to her, "Alright, but then accept my thanks for speaking for me back at the trial."

"No." Ranma blinked up at her in surprise. "I merely said what you should have. There is nothing to be thankful for. The vote was my choice as a Juror and selected as I believed was right. I will not allow you to thank me for doing my job."

Ranma laughed at her response, pleased. "I heavily disagree with that, but if you are anything like the last Pluto, I know that once your mind is made up nothing I say can change it." Pluto allowed a small smile on her tearstained face.

It was then that the door opened, revealing Kresh carrying a plate of food and a drink. "Lord Ranma, you won't believe how many different kinds of meat I found in the kitchen. In fact, they had dozens and not one of them was Slythe! And all of them are so delicious." He paused when he saw the other person in the room. However, he had no need to question his master's business and moved to sit down and eat in silence. Err, he tried to sit down.

An impossible stumble happened to the poor demon that caused him to lose his grip on the cup of water he was holding. Of course, Ranma saw this coming the moment Kresh walked into the room. The water seemed to almost defy physics as it moved in the opposite direction Kresh stumbled towards and splashed towards the water magnet. As Ranma sat there, he almost smirked in agony at the whole situation. Of course this was to happen then, just like this.

Ranma welcomed the water as it finally ended its maneuvering and splashed across him, now her. Ranma considered switching back to her male form with magic, but she figured it was too late for that. She gave a regretful smile at Pluto. Pluto, however, felt fear rising in her very core. "St-st-sta… Starlight. STARLIGHT! THEY RETURNED! THE STARLIGHTS HAVE RETURNED!"

Ranma blinked up at her. She had seen this reaction before, but it seemed limited to only Senshi – excluding Hotaru. She stood up and tried to calm the Senshi. "Um, I'm still Ranma. It's a curse. Calm down, Setsuna!" She was very glad that the spare rooms were away from the rest of the palace inhabitants.

It took Setsuna a few moments before she calmed enough for Ranma to talk sense to her. Once Setsuna had calmed down enough, Ranma explained her curse to her. The explanation came with a few demonstrations as Ranma took some of Kresh's magic to make warm and cold water. Kresh already knew about the curse, so he wasn't affected by the whole scenario.

Setsuna sighed and gazed at the now male and wet Ranma. "Forgive me for losing control like that. You are already a planet's avatar, I should have known better. It's just… ugh, those Starlights left a… lasting impression."

Ranma shrugged, "So I've heard. I probably should have told you and the other Senshi before, but I didn't want to deal with that just yet. I've been extra cautious in staying away from water, but I guess I can't run forever."

"Queen Serenity may be able to fix that curse," Setsuna offered.

Ranma shrugged again, "It's not that bad. It comes in handy just as often as it's a burden. You can even ask Kresh over here how I beat him because of it."

Kresh nodded his agreement, but he didn't say anything. Ranma looked at him questioningly but didn't comment at the lack of response.

Setsuna had a question of her own. Once she saw Kresh nod, she turned to Ranma and asked, "He can understand you?"

Ranma looked at her, confused. "What do you mean? Didn't you hear him speaking back at the…" Ranma stopped speaking. Demon Code 36 Paragraph 2: the telepathic link allows demons to only speak to their master. Any attempt to speak to anything else will only result in failure. "Never mind. Yes, he can understand us. He is very intelligent."

Setsuna looked at the demon for a moment before turning back to its master. "I see. Well, I must be getting back to my room now. Thank you, Ranma, for this conversation." She turned to leave but stopped when her hand touched the door knob. "You said that you couldn't comfort me. You were wrong." Then she was gone.

"_You said I killed Ranma…"_

Ranma groaned, trying to ignore the memories that were being brought forth in his mind. He lay down on his bed with his eyes closed.

"_You're wrong." Ranma used what little magic was left in the air to change forms. "I _am _Ranma." Pluto gaped at the thought dead hero. Makusu didn't waste the opportunity as he got a clean hit in._

Ranma had troubled dreams that night. They weren't as bad as those when he was captured, but they were enough to make sure he had no rest.

XXXX

The throne room was empty save for two occupants. One, the Queen, sat in her grand and elaborate throne. The other, Ranma, stood before her stoic as any other time. The others who were usually in the room had left upon request by the Queen.

Ranma, while his face looked calm and his body relaxed, his left hand was clenched tightly in a fist. He couldn't describe the emotion slowly coursing through his body, but he knew it wasn't anger nor sorrow nor frustration. Even so, it gripped his heart and squeezed, attempting to break the ice surrounding it.

Crystal herself was as expressionless as stone. Inside, she was facing a similar battle with emotions. However, with her arms crossed across her lap regally, she was in more control over herself than Ranma was of himself.

It was an accident, they both knew, even if one was responsible. Each had their own connection with the one lost – a love coming in two forms. Queen Crystal Serenity IV of the Moon Kingdom had called forth Ranma to discuss the matter. It was time to talk.

The Senshi's daily training had just ended for the day. Ranma had been able to recruit both Kresh and Marx to help with weapons training. All of the Senshi had brought a weapon of some form with the exception of Jupiter who opted for an unarmed fighting style. Ranma consented. Mercury had even brought top-of-the-line defensive military technology for herself, which pleased Ranma. The trio of trainers broke the girls into three groups and each did what they could to help train, even if Kresh had slight difficulties with communicating to them.

The Senshi made decent progress as they at least gained an understanding of their respective weapons. They held back on fighting with the weapons as some could be counter productive without training. They had spent the day going over basic attack patterns. It was challenging with the variety of the weapons, but they managed as each of the trainers had their own variety of specialties.

After the training, Crystal had called for Ranma. When he got to the throne room, he had found it empty save for the Queen. She told him that she wished to discuss Ryu.

Crystal spoke first into the silence that had reigned between them, "You don't have to speak if you don't want to; I mainly have a few things to say." Ranma didn't respond, so she continued, "I first met him when I was only sixteen years old, and I had no idea who he was at the time.

"My mother, Tessa, had been meeting him in private for years to discuss any plan for getting Nemesis to return to the Moon Kingdom and to end the prejudice between the sexes. I found the two meeting by accident and my mother explained to me what they were doing. Ryu-kun became my hero at that moment, my knight in shining armor. After that, my mother always brought me to the meetings between them."

The Queen sighed, "And when I was about fifty-five years old, I heard that he had gotten a woman pregnant. I had grown to fancy the reckless Senshi, so imagine my surprise when I found that the woman was in fact a demon." At Ranma's lack of reaction, she said, "Ah, he must have told you this already."

It wasn't really a question, but Ranma answered anyways, "On his deathbed."

The woman nodded her acceptance, "I see. Well, I won't lie when I say I wanted the baby killed. Ryu had already been receiving word from the people of his planet to kill it, but I think it was me telling him that broke the camel's back. He never really treated me the same after that. He was always so cold, so distant. It wasn't until my mother's suicide that things changed.

"I can't say I didn't see my mother's death coming. She had been getting progressively more and more depressed over the years at her failures to help the kingdom. She would stay in her room for weeks at a time. When I was 100 years old, on my birthday of all times, I checked to see what had been keeping her in her room for the last month. My birthday present was seeing her hanging above the bed with a noose around her neck."

Ranma didn't say anything, but his eyes didn't leave hers. Crystal was long past tears for her mother, but she was touched by the small amount of sympathy she saw in the ice blue eyes. "The next day, Ryu came to see me. No longer did he come to see me in secret. I had just been crowned when I received a message that we were under attack. Not long after that, Ryu had burst through the palace door, the elite royal guard surrounding him.

She paused. "Come to think of it, it wasn't too much different than when you and I first met… Anyways, I told the guards to stand down and let him approach. In front of the whole court, we talked about my mother and future plans for the Kingdom. Many people were outraged, but they could do nothing.

"I'll skip past the unimportant things. When I was almost 200 years old, Ryu and I began a relationship." She laughed when Ranma's jaw dropped. The laughter came like a gentle chime. "Oh yes, the Queen of the Moon Kingdom and the Senshi of the rogue planet had a thing. As a matter of fact, I had a daughter with him." She laughed again when Ranma fainted.

When Ranma regained conscious, he saw the Queen standing with another person. It was a woman with golden hair done in a similar style to hers. She looked to be in her middle twenties. Noticing him awake, Crystal smiled and said, "Meet my daughter, Selene."

Ranma groaned and pushed himself back to a standing position. He looked the woman in the eye, a sign that he was not her subject, and said politely, "Pleased to meet you, Princess Serenity."

The woman, not the least bit affected by his lack of respect, smiled back happily, "Please, call me Selene."

Ranma looked back to the Queen, "So when did…? Wouldn't the council…?"

Crystal laughed her soft chime again, returning to her throne. She turned to her heir and said, "Selene, you may go now." The girl smiled again and left the throne room. Once Selene was out of ear shot, Crystal said, "To answer your first question, she is only thirty-eight. As for the council, they never knew about Ryu and me. My pregnancy caused quite the upstart, but they never learned who the father was."

"I… see," Ranma said slowly. "I guess I shouldn't be so surprised to see Ryu-sensei having a real life, but… I never saw him outside of training. He never spoke of his past or anything like this."

Crystal folded her arms again and suggested, "Why don't you share what he did say to you? That part of his life has been a mystery to me."

Ranma sighed and looked back to what felt like so long ago. He told her of his first meeting of the Senshi, how he beat him in a fight. He told her of the training they did there, of the training on Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. The two shared a couple of laughs at the rogue Senshi's antics, but when Ranma finished his retelling, a hollow silence followed.

Ranma coughed to break the perceived tension and said, "Um, well, I guess I'll leave you to your duties now, Serenity." He made to leave, but stopped at her voice.

"Ranma." When he looked back to her, she said, "My name is Crystal." After seeing him nod, she continued, "And tomorrow I would like to discuss the Dark Moon Kingdom with you… over dinner."

Ranma's breath hitched. A flash of his previous girl problems hit him before he stopped the memories. This was the secret wife of the man he killed. This was a new life where things like that didn't happen. There would be no real risks by having one meal with her. He reluctantly nodded once and left the room.

Outside the throne room, Ranma wasn't too surprised to see Nemesis waiting for him. Since becoming her Senshi, he had been able to locate both her and her planet whenever and wherever. As soon as she saw Ranma, the green haired woman hooked her arm in Ranma's right one and began leading him down the grand hallway.

Ranma was taken back when she did that. While he couldn't move the arm, he could still feel things with it; the demons wouldn't let him get away with not feeling the full extent of pain. The contact of her was enough to shock him, but also the fact that someone would touch the deformed body part was equally surprising.

Nemesis smiled at him when they reached the end of the hallway. They had stopped walking. As if reading his thoughts, she said, "I made this arm, Ranma, every cell in it. No matter what happens to it, this is my creation and I could never be disgusted." She stroked the flawed flesh once, giving Ranma goosebumps at the unfamiliar contact. "And I know you can feel this. I can feel every sensory neuron in there doing its job."

Before Ranma could respond, their surroundings melted into pure white and a relaxed feeling overtook him. Ranma took a deep breath, getting a quick enjoyment of the special teleportation before they appeared once again on Ranma's second homeworld.

Ranma welcomed the gravity change as things became roughly three times heavier. He smirked, _Got you this time, gravity._ He always felt more stable on Nemesis, despite the few moments of clumsiness. It was his home and he had lived there for eight years. He had grown with that constant pressure, so it felt the most natural to be in it.

Nemesis, still holding Ranma's arm, pulled him to a sitting position with her. She kept her eyes on the setting sun as she spoke with a smirk, "I felt you grabbing my goodies, you naughty boy."

Ranma missed her implications, but he still shrugged and said, "I transformed for the first time." He also kept his eyes on the sunset as the sky turned from the color of Nemesis's dress to a unique golden green.

Nemesis glanced at him, "Did you win?"

Ranma shuddered, remembering the fight. "I called it off. You never told me that your power was raw magic. I mean, I figured it would be, but I never thought…" The last time he had felt that much power was when he took a large portion of magic from every Urgok in the village.

"You took my magic raw?" Nemesis almost yelled as her eyes went wide. Ranma guessed he had done something wrong. "No Senshi has ever taken their planet's magic raw. As a matter of fact, I'm the only planet who ever tells their Senshi how. But even Ryu hadn't been able to take my magic outside of my spells and the Shadow Dragon."

Ranma frowned, "So that's why… I saw that the other Senshi were only casting magic, they weren't controlling it. Yesterday, when I felt that power – your power – I wondered why each of them hadn't just crushed me into a ball and ended it."

Nemesis released her hold on his arm and wrapped her own around her legs. "As you know, incantations have a power of their own. That's what all of the other Senshi learn. I, on the other hand, try to teach you to do real spells. That's why I told you before that the words didn't bring the magic. Until you learn to control my magic, the words will just bring the spell and no more. But with how much you took from me yesterday… How did you survive?"

"I almost didn't. That's the other reason I stopped the fight. I felt powerful enough to fight forever, but I noticed my body failing. After releasing the magic, I needed help getting back to my room. If I hadn't already trained for this… I don't even want to think about what would have happened."

Nemesis spun around to look at him. She had a deep frown on her face. "Where did you learn how to channel magic?"

Ranma didn't respond for a second. Then he sighed and said, "You know that year where you couldn't see me?" At her nod, he pulled off his shirt. _Kresh…_ A ripping sound was heard, and there was a flash of blue light as a small portal appeared. Ranma was surprised to see Nemesis flinch when the portal opened.

Once Kresh appeared and the portal vanished, Ranma put his hand on Nemesis's shoulder. "Are you alright?"

The woman ignored the question and glared at the demon, "What are you doing here, filth?" Kresh didn't respond to her insult. Instead, he stood proudly and stared at Ranma, awaiting an order.

Ranma forced her to look at him, "Hey, what are you doing? I called him here. I was going to tell you, I became a master over a race of demons." He pointed at his tattoo for emphasis.

Nemesis frowned and she looked from the tattoo to the Urgok Guardian. She then looked up at Ranma and shuddered, "I see. I guess you were right about the Dark Moon using demons."

Ranma shook his head, "It's not like that, actually. They let me go on my own to get my memories back. They took me to a planet somewhere, and… Well, to make a long story short, I defeated the Urgoks' Guardian and they became my familiar. I was going to say that they taught me how to use magic."

Nemesis didn't loose her frown, but she nodded once. "And that is why you were able to take my magic so easily. I understand…" She shivered again. "Please, tell him to never use my magic again."

Ranma frowned, "I already gave him the order to never use a planet's, moon's, or star's magic. Gating automatically takes the magic from the location they are going to, so that will be the only time. Why?"

Nemesis, a being as ancient as creation, almost looked ready to cry. She whispered, "My core – my magic – is my most sacred place. It is something I give willingly to my Senshi; you have my consent. But when he took my magic like that… I can't describe it better than rape. Only two demons, three now, have ever been on me. Each one had taken my magic while they were here, and I made sure that both were destroyed in the most painful way possible for violating me."

Ranma understood what she meant instantly. He gave her a one-armed hug and said to her, "I'm sorry, Nemesis. I didn't know. It won't happen again, I promise. As your Senshi, I won't let it happen again."

Nemesis thanked him and he released her. Ranma turned to his demon and said, "You may go back now, Kresh." The demon nodded once and gated away with another ripping sound.

Nemesis stared at where the demon had stood before turning her attention to Ranma. She sighed once, giving off one last shiver, before commenting, "I guess that does explain a lot. How many… Urgoks are there?"

"186," Ranma replied instantly. Adafild had informed him of random facts like that, but Ranma could feel how many there were through his link with them.

"Are they all as powerful as this… Kresh?" She paused for a second, but continued before Ranma could speak, "He may not be a demon master, but I could feel the power just rolling off him. He has to be at least as powerful as you untransformed."

Ranma shook his head, "Kresh is the Urgok Guardian that I had to defeat. He is the strongest in the village by far."

Nemesis raised an eyebrow, "How did you defeat him? After your imprisonment, your body was grossly atrophied. He has enough magic to rip you apart, not to mention if he took magic from the planet…"

Ranma sighed, "He was a lot weaker back then, and not nearly as magic attuned. Also, as I was human, he found it suiting to fight me without any magic during our duel. Even so, he was beating me without any problems. I eventually managed to trigger my curse and I got my full Nemesis body from it, a pre-capture body. With that, I beat him easily."

Nemesis nodded her acceptance. "And I'm guessing you trained there with him."

Ranma nodded, "Yeah. Apparently, demons have a never ending threshold for power. They are the literal meaning for 'what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.'"

The talk between the two then degraded into less important things. They talked about Ranma using Nemesis's power, more efficient ways to do so, random happenings throughout the planet, and ended with talking about Ranma's family. It was several hours after the sunset that Ranma stood to leave.

Ranma held out his hand to Nemesis to help her stand. She took it and rose gracefully. They stood there for a moment, basking in the starlight, before Ranma's mind caught up with him. "R-Right, I guess I'll talk to you later then."

Nemesis smiled and nodded, "Of course." In a breath of wind, they teleported back to the Lunar Palace, specifically inside Ranma's room.

The duo appeared above Ranma's bed, where they fell the short distance and ended in an interesting position. Ranma had his one arm around Nemesis's waist, while both of her arms were wrapped around him in what seemed like a lover's embrace.

They sat there in a stunned silence for a moment before Nemesis smirked, "Since we are already like this… Take me like you took my power, wild horse."

Ranma blinked at her for a couple of seconds before the meaning hit him. "AHH!" He untangled himself from her arms and jumped off the bed.

Nemesis let off a hearty laugh with certain parts of her anatomy forcing Ranma to look away while she did so. "Oh Ranma, you are too easy. It only makes you that much more interesting…" She pulled herself into a sitting position at the edge of the bed.

Ranma looked back to her with a heavy blush and muttered, "Crazy, perverted planet…"

Nemesis smirked again and pulled Ranma back onto the bed, forcing him to sit next to her. "But I'm _your_ crazy, perverted planet. Why… you could almost consider us husband and wife."

Ranma groaned, "I had enough of that with the amazons… Besides, you could also consider us mother and son, and that would just be disgusting."

Nemesis mock pouted, "That's exactly what Ryu-kun did. It took the fun out of everything."

"Smart man then."

Nemesis stopped for a moment and looked into Ranma's eyes. The sapphires met black copper; Ranma almost shivered as they reminded him of Black Blood. She said, "I was there, listening, when you told your family of your past. Since you were to become my next Senshi, I've been there for almost everything you've done in this life. I remember what you said about when you were in Nerima, your fiancées, and everything else. I'm only messing around with you; I won't become another… Shampoo."

Ranma stared at her. He never thought about it before, but it did make sense that she would be paying attention to him. He never thought she knew about his past. Finally, he nodded slowly to her, "Thank you."

She smiled a motherly smile, one that showed her true nature. The smile revealed her age, her compassion, and intimate understanding. Ranma realized something then. This was the woman who had created all life on Nemesis, from the smallest plant to the mightiest warrior. She was there in the beginning and would be there in the end for everything living there. She had witnessed countless wars and all of the darker sides of humanity.

"You were there…" Ranma whispered in shock, "You were at the great war… The Planets' Collision."

Nemesis's smile wilted. A dark shadow passed over her face as she looked away, towards a blank wall. "At the time, I didn't have a physical embodiment, but I could feel everything happening on me. Never before had I witnessed such death. I have seen many things, and I know that anything I create will eventually die, but that was one of the darkest moments in my life. After the war, when those Gastralians and Mercurians settled on me, I took up a physical body.

"Once they formed cities, I came to the people and spoke to them. I made sure that there would never again be such chaos on me. I hadn't had a Senshi in centuries, never finding a reason before. This time, I picked out a blundering soldier who was fresh out of the new academy, one of the first current Nemesisian people born. This man was not skilled at all in the arts of war, despite having a special ability when it came to shadows. However, he had a pure heart. I took him, trained him, and made him a Senshi."

Nemesis sighed and looked back to Ranma, a tear visible on her cheek. "Ryu-kun was a great man Ranma, not a fighter. But I think you already know this." Ranma nodded. He reached out and wiped away the tear. Nemesis suddenly looked surprised and stood up. "Thank you, Ranma, but I think I should get going. Farewell, Avatar." She was gone before Ranma could respond.

Ranma sighed and lay back down on his bed. It was then he noticed Kresh staring at him. Ranma shrugged and asked, "Why do I always attract the weird ones?"

Kresh grinned, "She is a fine mate, Lord Ranma, even if she doesn't like demons."

Ranma could only stare at his familiar.

XXXX

The daily training went well the next day. The Senshi were getting better with their weapons, already able to control them well enough to do advanced moves. They still hadn't fought against each other yet, but Ranma figured he would have them do so soon for combat experience. There was one dispute during training, however, when Uranus and Neptune confronted Ranma with something.

Uranus walked towards Ranma with an irritating smirk on her lips. Neptune was quick to follow to either support or restrain her lover. Ranma turned away from his trio of students and raised an eyebrow at the newcomers. "Can I help you with something, ladies?"

Uranus's smirk widened, "Yes, you can, hypocrite." Ranma's look didn't change. She spoke up so everyone could hear here, "I was wondering if you could explain with your honorable 'no more sexism' propaganda how woman are treated in this perfect world your envisioning. Why don't you explain how women have _no_ rights what so ever and how they have no control in their lives? Why don't you just come out of closet and tell us you hate women, you damn Nemesisian! Women are no more than dirt under your boots; you walk all over them and treat them like your personal bitches!"

Ranma's hand twitched towards his scythe, but he restrained himself. He knew what she was talking about, and it enraged him. "Why don't you tell everyone here how women are treated on your homeworld?" She spun around and faced the observers, "That's right! This 'defender of equal rights' is the ruler of a land where women are slaves. That is what he wants! He is afraid of our intelligence and wishes for men to dominate us. He wants women to be no more than submissive whores who serve his every pleasure!"

Uranus spun and glared hard at Ranma, who still refused to move. "You know what? We won't give in to your oppression. We will not allow ourselves to become your servants." Her glare turned into a smirk. "Neptune, honey, why don't you explain what measures we took to insure no such thing happened to us?"

Neptune stepped forward with her own smirk, catching what her lover was getting at. "First, we got the Mercurians to make it where two women could produce children together. It actually wasn't that difficult. As women have the genotypes XX, all of our children became females. However, there were some men who… interfered with that. We then went out and castrated every last one of them, making sure men could no longer spread their corrupt seed."

Ranma remained stoic. Uranus continued after, "But that wasn't enough, you see." Her smirk turned wicked. "We had to kill them. The Hunt only lasted two months before your filth was exterminate-"

Uranus was cut off. Lightning fast, Ranma had drawn his scythe and shoved the blade end into her stomach. The black metal met resistance from the fuku but it still ruptured the flesh under it. Ranma didn't stop there as he swept the stunned woman off her feet and drove her into the ground. He went down after her with his knee crushing her chest.

Kresh acted right when his master did. He bashed his shield into Neptune's legs before she could react, also causing her to fall. He pinned her arms behind her and sat on them with his scimitar pressed against her throat. Kresh remained there and waited for orders from his master.

Ranma spoke slowly, his icy tone not betraying the fury raging inside his body, "When I said I want to stop the sexism, I mean I want to _stop sexism._ Did I say I want things like Nemesis? No. As a matter of fact, Nemesis is on my list of reforms. I don't give a damn about you being a dyke, but I sure as hell won't tolerate this." Ranma leaned in close, whispering into her ear so that only she could hear him, "When the Dark Moon Kingdom attacks, and all of your people are getting slaughtered before your eyes, I am going to be there."

Uranus was wheezing, unable to respond, but Ranma went on, "I'm going to be there, fighting. I am going to kill every last one of those bastards, and you are going to watch me, a man, fighting by your side and saving your ass." He raised his voice and pulled away from her ear, "Get used to the idea because without me, you will die."

Uranus was confused, and in pain. Ranma released her and motioned for Kresh to do the same. Neptune scrambled over to her love and tried to check the injury. Blood came out in streams from beneath the fuku, but it wasn't fatal. Neptune burst into tears at the sight and tried to carry Uranus to the medical ward of the palace.

Ranma watched the frantic girl for a couple of seconds before sighing. He walked over to the girl and kneeled down.

"Haven't you done enough already, you bastard-man?" Neptune screamed at him before trying to drag the girl again.

Ranma looked up at Neptune, stopping her cold, before he gently but firmly pushed her away and placed his hand over the wound. The girl had been so desperate that she wasn't even carrying Uranus right. Ranma reached into Kresh and ripped away a decent amount of magic and used to it heal the wound under his hand. There was no fancy light show, no miraculous vanishing of the blood, and with the fuku still intact, it seemed like nothing had happened. However, Ranma had felt the blood vessels repair themselves, the muscles grow back, and the skin close under his fingers.

Once he was done, he stood and walked back to the trio of girls he was training, picking up his scythe along the way. He stood before Senshi Mercury, Jupiter, and Pluto. Pluto was watching him calmly, Jupiter was hesitant, and kept glancing between him and Uranus, who had stopped moaning in pain. Mercury however was just staring at the downed girl with her mouth open. She eventually turned her head to Ranma and leveled a deadly glare.

Once Ranma began walking away, Senshi Neptune kneeled beside her now silent lover and asked how she was through her tears. Uranus stared up at the sky, nonresponsive, for a moment. Eventually, she turned her head and whispered, "I'm fine…" She turned her head the other way when she saw the small but powerful demon standing before them. Kresh motioned for both of them to stand, and they did so for their trainer.

Marx brought Venus's, Mars's, and Saturn's attention back to him and continued their training, trying to ignore the previous scene. Ranma himself acted like nothing had happened and motioned to his students to raise their weapons. When Senshi Mercury proved to be motionless, Ranma returned to dark look. "Raise your weapon, Senshi Mercury."

Instead, the blue haired woman spat on him. Ranma didn't move for a second. He then used the magic in the air that Kresh was omitting to dissolve the saliva. His look softened, and he raised his scythe into the stance he showed her previously. "Raise your weapon, Senshi Mercury. Like this."

The woman's look only got darker before she finally turned and stormed off towards the palace. Ranma shouldered his scythe and watched her go. He then turned to his other students, "Good, Senshi Pluto. Ayame, you need to move your fist like… this. Good."

After the training that day, which held a unique silence, Senshi Pluto asked Ranma if she could speak with him. Ranma shrugged and said he was just going to the barracks for lunch.

Setsuna walked with Ranma has he headed towards the military buildings, "The barracks? Why would you go there?"

Ranma glanced at her for a moment. "I personally don't appreciate having servants bring me my food. I prefer getting my own things to eat." Setsuna didn't think it mattered really as the servants were getting paid for serving them, but she didn't raise a complaint. Ranma suddenly asked her, "What can you tell me about the Space Keeper?"

Setsuna turned to him with wide eyes, "Where did you hear about that?"

Ranma turned to her with a raised eyebrow, "I met him a couple of times. Is he supposed to be a secret or something?"

Pluto shook her head, "No, it's not that. It's just that he's not common knowledge outside of Senshi, and I knew that Ryu didn't tell you about him yet." They entered the mess hall, much to the shock of the off-duty palace guards. "So you met him, huh? I guess I shouldn't be too surprised, considering. What was he like?"

The duo approached the lines for getting food, causing a good number of troops to scramble out of their way. Ranma merely took the panicked reactions into stride and used that as a faster way to get his food. As he piled massive amounts of food onto his plate, Ranma said, "I was kinda hoping you could tell me, but I guess I could say some things. He's kinda creepy, looks like he hasn't eaten in years, blood red cloak, wicked scepter, pleasant personality; you know, the kind of man you could get to like after a few rough starts."

Setsuna had a more graceful way of selecting her food, but she didn't skimp out of the amounts. "I see. I guess that fits the description I was given. Well, I know a few things about who he is, and I can make a lot of inferences if you want to hear them."

As the food was palace supplied, they didn't have to pay for it. Ranma balanced a tray on each shoulder, one on his head, one in his teeth, and carried two in his left hand and as they picked out a table to eat at. The Senshi of Pluto was more reserved and only held two trays. They sat down at a moderately full table which instantly cleared as soon as they set their trays down. They didn't take notice of the alarmed women.

Once Ranma got the tray that was in his mouth out, he said, "No thank you on the inferences. I only want facts right now." He grabbed his fork and began eating the food at his normal pace, occasionally swiping some from the guards who got too close.

The Senshi nodded as she picked up her knife and fork and ate at a measured pace. "Well, I guess you are asking me because of my duty as Time Keeper, correct?" At Ranma's nod, she said, "Well, since I haven't met my counterpart yet and have only recently been installed as the Time Keeper, I really can't tell you more than the other Senshi. However, from my own duties, I can make a lot of inferences, as I said before."

Ranma shrugged, "Just tell me the facts that you can."

Pluto took another bite of food before speaking, "Alright. As his name implies, he protects Space from being violated. The most common occurrence of that is space travel, a type of teleportation I believe you have experienced?"

Turning back from having stolen a large piece of chicken from a woman walking by, Ranma said, "Yeah, it's the Dark Moon Kingdom's main form of transportation."

Setsuna frowned, "That isn't good. That means that he is either their ally or they are about to have a very deadly enemy."

Ranma waved her concerns off, "Don't worry, I was the final straw for the Dark Moon. As I came here, he came up to me and asked whose fault it was. I don't think that Queen Metaria is going to be moving anything anytime soon. I'm pretty sure that'll give me some time to train you girls. Oh, and he mentioned something about me being a chaos generator. Do I affect both time AND space or something?"

Setsuna leaned back a little on the bench. "You affect everything, except I don't think that you should affect his Space like you affect my Time. But then again, that thought and those following it all go under 'inferences.'" Ranma nodded his understanding and finished up his last tray. "So what's it like to see his rod?"

Ranma suddenly started coughing. The food in his throat got stuck, but he still tried to fix her mistake. Eventually, he got the food down and exclaimed to her raised eyebrow, "WHAT?"

"His Stasis Scepter. I hear it looks like a piece of wood covered in silver with red lightning at the tip."

"Oh," Ranma said, relieved, "I thought you meant- Never mind. Um, it was interesting I guess. He got fairly bad aim with it though."

Setsuna frowned, "He's been on duty since the start of time. He is the first and only Space Keeper. How can he have 'bad aim'?"

Ranma shrugged, finally finished with his food. "I dunno. Maybe I got lucky. Then again, he did go "You are a chaos generator? Forgive me" and then he left."

Setsuna's turned thoughtful, leaning back again with her hand under her chin. Ranma saw that as a perfect opportunity to eat the little bit of food she had left. Ranma's hand blurred faster than the eye could see towards Setsuna's food. His fork was only a millimeter way from her piece of chicken when a giant staff stabbed into his hand. Ranma _almost_ screamed in pain as the Garnet Rod crushed his hand into the table and in frustration as he was so close to the food.

Setsuna still looked thoughtful as she twisted the key staff, grinding against Ranma's hand painfully. "That confirms a few inferences, but I'm guessing you still don't want to hear those. I'm sorry I can't be of more help." She looked back down again to see Ranma's predicament. "Oh, and I would recommend not trying to steal my food – or anything of mine for that matter."

Ranma shrugged, despite the pain, "Point taken, I guess." Setsuna removed the Garnet Rod. Ranma cradled the throbbing hand, now with a big impression in the center, but he didn't seem to notice the pain. Setsuna finished the last of her food at Saotome speeds, but she looked graceful and not rushed when doing so.

The duo stood, both finished, and moved their trays to the designated area before leaving the silent mess hall. As they walked, Setsuna said, "I guess it wasn't so bad going to barracks to eat. It's nice not having to wait for your food when ever you finish a plate. We should do this again sometime."

Ranma nodded, not yet realizing that he was making the same mistake he made in Nerima.

XXXX

After breaking up with the Senshi of Pluto, Ranma had found Hotaru in the halls of the palace. The girl looked afraid but determined when she asked Ranma if they could speak privately. Ranma shrugged and followed her back to the Saturn Guest Quarters. They both sat on the large, deep purple bed.

Hotaru looked nervous, but none-the-less she turned to Ranma and said, "Do you remember how we had things that we weren't ready to tell each other yet?"

Ranma understood why she was so nervous. As a matter of fact, if this was the day they both were waiting for, then he was nervous too. They had agreed to both hold in their pasts until a certain day. At the time, Ranma had been afraid to have to reveal everything about himself, about how he was from the future, his fiancée problems, and the other things that revolved around his life. He had no idea what Hotaru could be hiding, but he knew it had to do with why she was the most feared Senshi.

As a matter of even the other Senshi had been afraid of her. They never openly chose to work with her, they never initiated conversation with her, and those who stood next to her would either send nervous glances or flat out ignore her. Only Setsuna would treat Hotaru like any other Senshi.

Although Ranma figured he could ask just about anyone in the Moon Kingdom her 'terrible secret,' he respected her privacy enough to wait for her. He figured she could do the same with asking his family about his past, especially now that the two planets had form the Silent Chaos.

Ranma nodded to her, "I remember." He smiled to reassure her nervousness, "Hotaru, there is absolutely nothing you could do that would turn me away from you. Hell, I helped kill a Senshi, actually killed another, and tried to kill the Queen. What could you possibly have that tops that?"

Hotaru giggled, finding relief in his words. "I guess your right, but… Well, I guess I've never had a positive reaction to it before, and you are the one person that I could not bear to hate me."

Ranma wrapped his one arm around her waist. "Hotaru, you are the only person I think I could never hate, and I don't mean that lightly. You could tell me right now that you killed my entire family and, while I would be angry, I would at least ask why. The only thing you could do to turn me away is a full betrayal against everything we had done together."

Hotaru was shocked by his words. "Ranma, I… No, it's nothing like that. I would never betray you."

Ranma grinned at her, "Then you got nothing to worry about. Try me."

Hotaru sighed and took a deep breath. She was still nervous while speaking, but more confident now than she was before. "You know about my healing ability. What that really is though is a balance. You have to understand, my secret is so powerful that it requires the ability to save lives in order to balance it. I- I am the Senshi of Destruction. My abilities resolve around killing, and my powers are enough to destroy planets."

Ranma reached out to her and made her look up at him, "Is this what it's about? Hotaru, I am the Senshi of Chaos. I had to learn about your abilities a long time ago, to know the difference between me and you. I also have a planet destroying ability, one far worse than yours. You clear all life on the planet, true, but planets can create more life in time. With me, I destroy the planet. It causes the planet's magic to implode, rupturing the entire planet."

Hotaru shook her head, both in amazement and to discredit Ranma. Tears began leaking down here face. "You don't understand. That's not all there is to it. There was a prophesy from the Time Keeper before Mihoshi, thousands of years ago. The Senshi of Saturn is called the Senshi of Destruction because she is to destroy the Moon Kingdom."

Ranma was quiet for a moment, still holding Hotaru as she cried. Finally, he smiled and said, "I wish you would have told me a few days ago… I would have gone to you first to see if you could help me assassinate Crystal."

Hotaru stopped crying as shock held her still. Ranma's laughter broke her out of it, and she couldn't help but laugh with him. It wasn't that she found it funny, but she felt such a relief that it was all she could do. Ranma tousled her hair when they were done, "Well, look on the bright side: with the Dark Moon coming, it won't matter if you kill everyone or not. Besides, with that prophesy being told thousands of years ago, whose to say it won't be thousands of years until it comes true?"

Hotaru looked up at Ranma, "What do you mean?"

"Look, I've been to the Dark Moon Kingdom. The Moon Kingdom is going to fall without a doubt. We really have no hope. So this way, it won't matter if you suddenly destroy everything as the Moon Kingdom will be destroyed no matter what. And then, if by some random miracle of superb excellence strikes and we do live through the attack, it could be dozens of Saturn's after you before that actually happens. So, I don't see what your trying to get at with the prophesy."

Hotaru frowned, "But… what… I mean…"

Ranma smiled again and cut her off, "Hotaru, don't worry about it. Besides, if it really is you, there might actually be a good reason for it. Now, I'm sure you're all excited to hearing about my past?" Hotaru nodded, not trusting her voice.

Still holding her, Ranma explained his life in Japan. He told her all of his training trip, China, the explanation for the curse, Nerima, and all his other crazy episodes. He told her about how he got sent to this world, and finished with his small adventures before going to Saturn. After he was finished, they discussed how his time fit in with the Moon Kingdom.

"Well, it would make the most sense that this is the past, especially with how the scrolls were labeled. But I don't see how your technology would be so bad that you only just learned to enter space," Hotaru said.

Ranma shrugged, "I know, but it doesn't really matter. It could either be destroyed in a war or I could even be from some parallel dimension. But, you have to realize that this only further proves that the Moon Kingdom will fall. The best we can do take out as much of them with us as we can."

Hotaru nodded slightly, but she remained skeptical. "So what do you know about the planets in your time? Surely you would have moved to inhabit them once you learned to enter space."

Ranma sighed, "I wasn't exactly the best of students. I almost never went to school, and when I did I never paid attention in class. Hell, I didn't even know the order of the planets when I came here. But I do know one thing… There is no such thing as Nemesis. I think I remember an asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter."

Hotaru looked at him, "What's that supposed to mean?"

Ranma shrugged, even though it came out awkward as his arm was still wrapped around Hotaru. "I don't know really. It could prove that I'm from a different dimension, but most likely it means that Nemesis will be destroyed. I try not to think about this too much, however, as it brings too many questions that can't be answered."

The talk between the two degraded into less important things. Eventually, Ranma realized that he should be leaving to meet the Queen for dinner. He also realized that she hadn't given him a time. Luckily, his question was answered when the two were interrupted by a messenger. Ranma bid Hotaru farewell as he left to meet the Queen.

Ranma entered the royal dining room, his face an expressionless calm. The Queen already sat at the head of the long table, and she gestured to a side seat that was relevantly close to hers. Ranma propped his scythe against the wall before sitting. Servants soon entered, bringing food and drinks.

Once the last servant left room, Crystal gracefully ate a bit of her food and asked, "So, what can you tell me of your old friends?"

Ranma was silent for a moment as the food on his plate seemed to vanish instantly. After he finished his food, he said, "Queen Metaria rules them. As you may have heard, the throne room is guarded by hundreds of demons, and I know that they have thousands more under their control. When Mary had helped me escape the prison, I saw them enslaving the demons.

"They have two stars, six planets. In order, the planets go Mau, Coronis, Zulpher – where the palace is located, then Belican – where I woke up for my 'training,' Chu, and the last is Planet Mermaid. The stars are on outside of those planets; I have no idea how the orbits work for that."

Ranma paused when more food was brought out from the servants. He took the time to eat his food before continuing. "They were training about two hundred new 'students' on Belican when I woke up. Each one had a special duty, like me in the combat squad.

"The combat squad itself was made of eight people including me. There were a couple who are stronger than me, and our leader- his name is Hi – he is a wild card, but I am sure he out-powers me by far. Working together, we crushed a rebellion led by the Senshi on Coronis in five minutes and without any witnesses."

Once again, food was brought by the servers. They carried only one plate at a time, much to the annoyance of Ranma. "From what I heard, Zulpher is the planet that the Zuluzuian and Gastralian people landed on after The Planets' Collision." That caught Serenity's attention, but she didn't comment yet. "That is most likely the main reason they are coming after you, but, as you can tell, I certainly wouldn't blame them for the reasoning they gave me."

Crystal sighed and said, "Let's stay on topic here."

Ranma huffed and finished his new plate. "The planet itself is surrounded by mines so thick that not even a transport vessel could make it through. Because of that, they use teleportation as their main for of transportation. The good news is that they are apparently violating space with their actions, so they won't be able to do anything for a while after a little chat I had with the Keeper."

The Queen looked surprised, "You spoke with the Space Keeper?"

Ranma leaned back against his chair and nodded. "Nice guy really. A little on the violent side, but he's pleasant enough."

The Queen frowned, "Ranma, the only way you would speak to him is if _you_ had violated space, and you should be dead because of it."

Ranma smirked, "Like I said, he is a nice guy once you get to know him."

Crystal figured he wouldn't elaborate, so she didn't press. "What do you think our chances honestly are?"

Ranma sighed and slouched a little. "We can't win. I know we can't. Your Senshi aren't ready for what's coming, and, like I said before, I don't have enough time to get them ready. The other seven are strong enough to destroy the entire Moon Kingdom, including you if they work together. That's not including the demon masters that they have working for them or that hordes that come with the masters."

Crystal was silent as she finished the food on her plate. She then looked up at Ranma with her dark purple eyes. "Speaking of demon masters, I've had to deal with more than a few complaints about your… familiar. I'm guessing that Queen Metaria gave you demons to control since you worked for them. Will those be of any help in this war?"

Ranma waited for the next round of food to be dealt out. "My Urgoks have nothing to do with the Dark Moon. That was my own doing. As for if they will be useful… Kresh is roughly equal to me in strength, so I would say that he will make a difference. As for the rest, they are just average familiar. While they would help, it would be futile to waste all of their lives like that."

"And if it was the deciding factor? If by all of them sacrificing themselves for this war we would win, would you summon them all?" Ranma looked up at her unflinching eyes. He was reminded that she was a Queen, one who would give everything she had to keep her people alive.

He took a deep breath and paused in eating, the plate half full. After a moment, he said, "If that is what it took, then yes, I would sacrifice them all. However, I won't summon a single one unless I knew for sure that they would be the deciding factor."

Crystal was silent for a moment, watching him eat – something that didn't take long. "These demons mean something to you. Is there something I am missing?"

The last little bit of food disappeared from Ranma's plate. He looked up at her and said, "At least your smart enough not to just say 'why do you care? They're just demons.'" He sighed, "They aren't the regular demons. The master who made them was different. She gave them full human emotions and intelligence. They are really just like another race of people out there, even if they look different. The only difference is that they must follow demon law."

"And is demon law not as evil as it sounds?"

Ranma laughed, "No, it's not. I thought the same thing at first, thinking that there would be some code like 'demons must eat the flesh off of humans once a week' or something like that, but it's really just a book of guidelines on how demons and masters should behave."

Crystal smiled, "I see."

They then spoke of various strategies that they could use against the Dark Moon, the details about the members of the combat squad, and possible ways to save the people even if it meant sacrificing the Kingdom. They spoke for a couple of hours, in which more than one water accident had happened.

"Ranma, I think you are underestimating the power of the Ginzuisho. It transcends the bonds of the living and the dead and is even able to-" she stopped.

A servant had walked in carrying a jug of water for refills. Ranma noticed the open top the moment the man entered and resisted the urge to groan… or grin. He counted the steps it took before the man accidently bumped into a leg of a chair and stumbled. He spun wildly, trying to regain his footing, but other forces were in control. He finally began his descent towards the ground, releasing the jug so he could prevent hurting himself.

Ranma didn't turn his head to watch the inevitable, but his peripheral vision tracked every movement. The jug spun once in the air before the water rushed out and drenched him into a her.

Ranma took the time to smirk and winked once at the stunned Queen. Crystal, for her part, assumed a look a pure horror at the transformation. She tensed her body to react before she realized something. She visibly calmed and said, "You are not a Starlight." It seemed more like a reassurance for herself than an actual observation.

Ranma flexed her right arm, relishing the feel of it. She turned to Queen Serenity and said, "Of course not. It is a curse." She used what magic she could to force the transformation back into her male form. The right arm dropped limply back to his side. "Cold water turns me into a girl, hot water into a guy. I only recently learned how to control it, but I can't prevent it."

Crystal frowned, "I could fix that, if you want. Curses are only a minor hassle with the Ginzuisho." She turned to the fearful servant, "And you, sir, are in a significant amount of trouble for what you have done to my guest."

The man looked too scared to speak, so Ranma stepped in for him, "Don't blame him. That's the added bonus of the curse: if there is an open source of water, it is bound to end up on the nearest Jusenkyo cursed victim, which is me. The impossible can happen with this curse. Hell, I've seen water run uphill just to get to me."

Crystal's frown didn't leave her face, but she dismissed the servant. The man thanked Ranma profusely, apologized many times, and was finally forced out of the room when he tried to hug Ranma.

After the man was gone, Crystal asked, "I'm going to guess male, but which is your birth form?"

"This," he said, gesturing to himself. "And before you ask, everything about me turns female except my mind. Also, you don't need to fix this. That form comes in handy much more often than it becomes a burden. Not only is the right arm still functional, but it can also be used for disguises." A flash of the previous Senshi Pluto came to mind, but he ignored it.

Queen Serenity finally smiled, "Ah, I think I understand." She cocked head to the side. "It's strangely suiting, actually, how the one who demands equality between the two sexes is actually both."

Ranma smiled in response.

The two continued their conversation about the threat of the Dark Moon Kingdom for another hour before Ranma decided to retire to his room. The Queen bid him farewell before she gracefully rose from her chair and left out the back door with a twirl in her flowing white dress. Ranma watched her go before he also rose and left through the entrance.

XXXX

For the Senshi training the next day, Ranma decided to hold a tournament. Mercury had shown up, but he didn't make any note of it. Uranus had kept her distance, but he caught her staring at him more than once. Neptune was constantly next to her lover, alternating between shooting glares at Ranma and concerned glances at Uranus.

Ranma pitted the different Senshi against each other in standard forked tournament format. After the first round, the semi-finalists were Senshi Mars, Saturn, Pluto, and Mercury. They were paired as Mars versus Pluto and Saturn versus Mercury. Ranma ended up betting Marx 100 Stardust on Senshi Pluto winning. Marx agreed to it thinking that Senshi Saturn would win due to raw power. Both the general and Ranma were surprised to see Queen Serenity come to observe the fight and place her bets on Mercury with the explanation of superior technology.

The first fight was fairly interesting. Mars took to the air where she alternated between throwing fireballs and shooting arrows from her weapon. Pluto teleported sporadically and unleashed a few Dead Screams that Mars easily dodged. After a full minute of this, Pluto ended up teleporting right behind the winged woman and crippled both wings with her key-staff.

The Time Keeper teleported back to the ground where she watched Mars land hard. Setsuna didn't miss a beat as she swung towards the downed woman. A clang was heard when Mars pulled out her wrist blades. The two entered a relevantly short skirmish that ended with Pluto as the winner.

Mars had blocked an overheard strike from Pluto with an X cross. Pluto suddenly teleported behind Mars and slammed her elbow into the woman's skull. Mars stumbled, dazed. Pluto then kicked into the area behind the knee, forcing Mars to her knees. Mars couldn't defend herself when Pluto did a quick swing into the shoulder that, while it didn't break the bone, sent the woman tumbling over. Pluto then lunged and landed on Mars's chest with her knee, forcing the breath out of the woman and keeping her pinned. Pluto pressed the staff against her throat and said, "I win."

The fight between Senshi Mercury and Senshi Saturn was far more interesting. It was a clash between raw power and technology.

Hotaru did well in the power department, displaying excellent control as she made sure her attacks were never too destructive. However, the walls of the training room were still soon demolished from the stray blasts.

Mercury proved to be nimble in her movements, despite the heavy protection she wore. She alternated between her few magical offensive abilities and her weapon. Mercury's weapon was a fine example of their advanced technology. It was made of a magic infused metal, making it indestructible and allowing transformations without her Henshin Rod. The shape of it was a staff with a slight variation. The top end held a small ring that went around the base. By spinning the ring, a concentrated beam of energy shot out of the end.

More than once, Mercury was almost grazed by Saturn's harsh spells, but her impulse energy shield absorbed it. Currently, the shield was powered by storage crystals, but they were working on a more advanced version that would allow Mercury to power it with her planet's magic.

Saturn herself had perfected her form of holding the Silence Wall and launching Surprises from behind it. However, the constant hammerings from Mercury were beginning to tire her. After a few minutes of this style of fighting, Hotaru suddenly charged from her shield and ran towards the evasive woman.

The glaive and the staff met each other with a loud clang. Mercury quickly maneuvered her staff to be aimed towards the woman and spun the ring. Hotaru didn't wait as she rolled to the side and thrust her Silence Glaive. Mercury sidestepped and lashed out with her staff. Hotaru was able to raise her glaive in time for a parry.

Still struggling in the parry, Hotaru tried to kick the other woman. Her foot didn't get within one foot of the body before it came in contact with the shield. Hotaru cursed and pulled back. Mercury smirked.

Out of melee distance, Mercury aimed her staff and spun the ring. This time, Hotaru smirked. She first formed a Silence Wall before her, absorbing the damage, followed by enclosing Mercury in a prison with Silence Walls on all sides. Mercury let off a curse of her own when she saw Hotaru raise her weapon and the world fell silent.

Mercury didn't hesitate as she leveled her weapon forward again and kept spinning the ring, forcing the beam to come out in a steady stream against the wall, trying to drain Saturn's power. Noticing she didn't have enough time, Mercury spun it faster, unleashing a thicker and stronger beam. Hotaru then unleashed her attack.

Hotaru released the walls right when her attack hit, exhausted. Mercury didn't scream as her armor phased out of existence and she took in the rest of the attack. The beam from Mercury's weapon was still going when the walls fell. Hotaru took the hit and flew back a few feet. Neither combatant rose after that.

Hotaru was still conscious, but she didn't have the energy to rise. Ranma checked the two and announced it a draw. He smirked at the other two observers and said, "Looks like Senshi Pluto is the victor." He then offered Hotaru a hand and allowed her to lean on his shoulder.

Marx and Queen Serenity looked sour as they fished out their Stardust. Ranma collected the credits and pocketed them. "Pleasure doing business with you." Setsuna and Hotaru raised an eyebrow at the transaction, but neither commented.

Suddenly, a messenger ran into the training room. She panted for a few moments, trying to catch her breath, before she gasped out, "Queen Serenity… A man approaches!"

Crystal frowned and dusted off her white dress as she turned to face the woman. "And why is this man significant?"

The messenger looked uncomfortable. "He… He is very powerful. We can't see what he looks like; he is covered in a red cloak. He asked to see you, Lady Pluto, and…" She gestured towards Ranma with a flick of her hand, not bothering to acknowledge him by name.

Crystal looked surprised. She faced the other two, who were just beginning to understand. "He's here?" Ranma asked, astonished.

Queen Serenity was too regal to shrug, but she managed the same effect when she turned to the training room exit door and said, "Let's find out."

The three entered the throne room after Ranma dropped Hotaru off in her room. True to their suspicions, a man in a crimson cloak stood there surrounded by guards. His hood covered his bone white face, but his silver scepter revealed his identity.

Once Crystal gracefully sat upon her throne, she asked, "What brings you here, Keeper of Space?" Ranma stood in front to the throne, regarding the man intently while Pluto stood next to the Queen, her Garnet Rod at the ready.

The Space Keeper pulled down his hood. His voice came as much more human sounding outside of space, "Business, as usual. I came to meet my new counterpart… and the Chaos Generator."

Crystal waved the guards off, leaving the four alone in the throne room. "I see. So we are all here then."

The Space Keeper nodded, "For the first time in many Millennia, there is a Chaos Generator." He turned towards Ranma. "Forgive me for attacking you, sir. I tried to get here as soon as I could, but the presence of the Order Generator made it impossible to teleport anywhere near here."

Ranma raised an eyebrow, "I didn't have a problem, if you remember."

"That is why I am here; to explain to you what you are, who I am, and who those two are. We are creatures of balance, and fate has created each of us balance each other. You are a Chaos Generator. You balance out the Order Generator's presence, and thus you could teleport here."

Ranma blinked. "Ah, one more time please; this time from the beginning."

The Space Keeper didn't look bothered. "You are a Chaos Generator. Your very presence disrupts the strict Order of the universe, balancing it." He pointed to Crystal. "She is the Order Generator. Her presence brings things to Order, balancing the wild Chaos of the universe. I believe you already know my title and that of the Time Keeper."

Ranma nodded, "But how do we relate?"

"The Keepers of Time and Space can control the universe. We could bend everything to our will and shape it to our liking. Such power needs balance. The Generators are that balance. As the Order Generator balances Chaos so also does it balance Time. The two are in constant harmony as Time cannot fluctuate without Order."

"In other words," Crystal said, speaking up, "I control the Time Keeper. At least, I control how much she can control. When you faced Mihoshi not long ago, she was under the effects of a ban placed on by me by my power as an Order Generator."

Ranma frowned as he looked back to the Time Keeper, "So, as a Chaos Generator, I control you?"

"You control how much I control," the Space Keeper corrected. "My actions are my own, but you decide how much of Space I can influence."

"But how does Chaos and Space go together? There is no possible way that 'Space cannot fluctuate without Chaos."

The aged man nodded, "That is true. I have never known the true reason for why Chaos and Space were linked, but my guess is for just the simplest way to balance the four. If you did not hold sway over my actions, fate would have had to create a fifth party that's sole purpose was balancing my power. In my years, I have known fate to make things as simple as possible."

Ranma nodded, but he didn't look convinced. "Alright, I kind of get this. So the Time Keeper cannot use her Time spells properly around me because of the Chaos I bring. The Chaos is, for lack of a better example, making Time chaotic and thus unstable. In the same way, you cannot use your Space abilities around Crystal because of the Order that her presence brings. It's sort of like a four-way balance?"

"A four-way balance…" the Space Keeper took a moment to consider it. "Yes, that works. My counterpart and I are a given, you control my extent of power, and the Order Generator negates my abilities. So yes, in a way, we all balance each other."

Ranma nodded. "So I'm starting to get it. But what's the purpose to all this?"

Setsuna spoke up, "The Keepers are needed. The Space Keeper prevents any problems in Space; not just outer space, but everything that takes up space. Often, black holes are formed, and he is needed to close them. Black holes are voids that will take any mass and remove it, permanently. That is a violation of Space. There are other things, like a certain type of teleportation that you are familiar with, along with more complex problems. I watch the timeline and prevent any disturbances in it. Since time travel is possible, I need to make sure nothing in the past is changed."

Ranma snorted, "Some job you've done." Setsuna raised an eyebrow. "Err, right. You just started. I meant Mihoshi." He paused. "Well, actually… Maybe whoever the Time Keeper is in whatever time I'm from."

Setsuna brow furrowed. "What?"

Ranma sighed. Suddenly, he smirked, "Well, I felt like if I had to violate Space with Big Red over there, why not violate time as well?"

Setsuna frowned, "Don't be flip with me, Ranma."

Ranma sighed again after his smirk died. "I'm from, I think, the future, or maybe an alternate reality. I don't really know, but given the choices, it is most likely the future. There is no such thing as the Moon Kingdom, but at the same time there are no other species alive on planets other than Earth. I'm from Tokyo, Japan, Asia Sector, Earth. While I was there, a… person hit me with a spell scroll. It was titled 'Pupil Punishment,' but with the craziness in my life, and the fact that he had another spell scroll called 'Ancient Land of Pretty Ladies' next to it, it makes me think there was a switch in the titles."

The other three had frowns on their faces. Setsuna seemed reluctant when she spoke, "Well… Maybe the Time Keeper didn't know that you had entered the past because of you being a Chaos Generator."

Crystal shook her head, "Even so, the magic of the spell would have alerted the Time Keeper. Mihoshi explained this all to me."

Setsuna turned to her, "My Queen, why didn't Okaa-san do anything then?"

"Maybe only the Timer Keeper of Ranma's time would have felt the magic, since it happened there. But that doesn't explain why she didn't come back here and fix this problem."

"Hey, don't forget whose helping you in this war. Don't go around callin' me a problem," Ranma argued.

The Space Keeper spoke up, "I am sorry for interrupting, but did you say war? If you three are entering a war, I think it best if I take a part as well."

Ranma smirked at him, "We were just talking about you, actually. Apparently, Queen Metaria wants to destroy the Moon Kingdom. I can't say I blame her, but I got roped into working for this side."

"Ah, Metaria. She had been giving me quite a few problems recently. I allowed her to space travel twice now and she thinks that gives her free reign to do so whenever she wants. I was about to start her punishment, as the Chaos Generator could attest to, but once I found him to be a Chaos Generator I had to come here first." He sighed. "There is so much Order here that I practically had to come to the other side of the moon to get a clean teleport."

Crystal leaned forward a bit on her throne. "That reminds me… My secretary claims to have space traveled from the Dark Moon to here about a year ago. If that is true, how come she got so close to the palace when you couldn't?"

"The Nekomata I believe you are referring to. As she is a being of neither Chaos nor Order, she has a more free ability to travel into areas where either is concentrated. However, since the actual ability is that of Chaos, according to the balance, she could only get to outside the palace since your Order is too strong inside. Since you have generated so much Order here over the years, my Space abilities were only allowed at the far side of the moon. In a few years, Ranma will have generated enough chaos for me to travel here freely."

Ranma snapped his fingers, "So that's why Setsuna was able to teleport so freely during the tournament today; Crystal was standing next to me."

"Yes, that would happen. As the Order Generator gets further away from you, the more powerful your Chaos will become and the less the Time Keeper will be able to control, despite the amount of Order already built up here."

Ranma nodded. "Alright, as strange as this all is, it makes sense. As for what you could do to help with this war, you could cripple the Dark Moon's ability to travel since they seem so fond of violating Space. That might buy us the time we need to prepare for their invasion."

The Space Keeper nodded, "That seems like the best course, since I need to do that anyways. I will warn you if they start to leave in bulk and it looks like an invasion." He paused. "Chaos Generator, if you would please walk with me to the grounds outside the palace. I don't feel like walking back all the way to the other side of the moon."

Ranma left the girls at the throne and walked with the large, cloaked man. "Just call me Ranma."

The man glanced at him with his blood red eyes, "And you can call me Xycell Minditial Juy Burdinaxia Mikal. Xycell for short."

"What's your last name?" Ranma joked.

"Cathyidia Kalix An-"

"Whoa!" Ranma interrupted. "I was kidding. Geez, how many parts are there to your name?"

The Space Keeper was silent for a moment. "In my time, practically the beginning of it, we were named by a two part phrase. That is a long forgotten language."

They had reached the gates to the courtyard. "So what does your name translate to?"

The Space Keeper smirked, "That, my friend, is a secret." A blue apparition shot into the sky so fast Ranma almost didn't see it. The body vanished a moment after it.

XXXX

After that, things had fallen into routine. For a couple of months, Ranma would train the Senshi to fight with weapons, to be able to take more hits, and eventually how to be more powerful in their magic attacks. After training, he would spend time with whoever presented themselves to him, which was usually Hotaru, Setsuna, Yuka, or Crystal. Sometimes, he would just talk with an old mentor like Ayame, Jupiter's Senshi, or Ame, the Senshi of Mars. On the rare occasion, he was visited by the flirtatious Nemesis where he would go back to said planet for a few moments of flustered peace and solitude.

After those two months, Ranma decided a new focus for the training.

Ranma stood before the eight silent Senshi, studying each of their expressions. He did it every morning to make sure none were going through particular emotional difficulties or something similar. Satisfied, he pulled out his scythe. He smirked once and let the transformation roll over him. In a burst of light, his clothes melded into his Senshi's uniform.

The Senshi were surprised to see Ranma transform without words or the embarrassing lightshow. However, they remembered him stating that he would accomplish it eventually, so they didn't question it. Still, Hotaru pouted at the lack of a free peek.

Ranma cracked his neck as he did a quick stretch. "Alright, today is going to be a new exercise." A few of the women perked up at that, interested in something new. "It is not that difficult, so I don't want to hear any complaining.

"You are to touch me. It is that simple. Now, that can be with your hand, a spell, your weapon, or even a rock if you throw it. However, you will not be allowed to eat lunch if it takes you that long, and you will get no break until you can do so. Leaving because you are hungry, frustrated, or tired is unacceptable, and you will regret it if you do so. Now, the last rule is that nothing is limited. That means you can use whatever you want, and I can go wherever I want."

Kresh stood to the side of his master. The game sounded interesting to him. Although he wasn't taking a part in it, he thought of various strategies to catch the martial artist.

"Ready… Go!" Ranma suddenly blurred out of sight. The girls spread out, but they looked confused. Ranma whistled, bringing their attention to the top of the training room wall. Ranma smirked before jumping over it to the other side.

Try as the Senshi might, they were unable to hit him. Ranma stuck relevantly close to the training room, sometimes jumping over the wall to go back to it. The Senshi tossed several spells at him, but he just yawned before tossing a Chaos Bolt to interfere with the spells. The ones who tried to get close and get him with their weapons only hit air. Setsuna tried a few sporadic teleportation's, but she never got a hit. Hotaru took Ranma's advice and threw rocks at him, but Ranma just laughed and dodged them in exaggerated movements.

Mars had tried a few sneak attacks from the air, but Ranma sensed her coming every time. Hotaru tried to catch him in a Silence Wall prison, but Ranma managed to escape it every time. She was only able to capture him once.

Ranma had grinned when he found that he couldn't get out. He knew he could try to destroy the walls and burn Hotaru of energy, but that would take too much time. As the seven other Senshi closed in on him, Ranma flooded himself with more of Nemesis's magic. He checked to make sure he wasn't overdoing it before he used the magic to remove all of the rocky ground under him. A large hole formed that he fell into just as several attacks flew at the spot he had stood at.

Ranma used the magic to make a tunnel all the way to the other side of the training room wall, now inside the room, before coming out and jumping up to the top of the wall. He laughed when he saw their confused faces, bringing their attention to him. The game continued.

Ranma continued until well past lunch, where the Senshi began to get downhearted. Ranma took to insulting them into a fury that had them fighting fiercely to hit him, some probably to kill. When dinner rolled around, Ranma took the game inside the Lunar Palace, much to the annoyance of the guards and secret amusement of the Queen and Nekomata.

As Ranma leaped and bounded through the hallways, laughing, he led the Senshi down to the kitchens where they could smell the food but couldn't eat. They knew better than to disobey his orders. They didn't use spells in fear of collateral damage, but it was hopeless with just their weapons.

Ranma did a huge leap from across the room, over the Senshi's heads, and left the kitchen. Mars had almost tagged him, but he maneuvered his body just in time. Ranma led the frantic Senshi back through the hallways and into the throne room. The crystal windows revealed that it was sunset outside.

Ranma tore into the throne room, laughing merrily. He didn't 'intentionally' run into certain councilwomen; it just happened to be that they were in the way. Honestly. As it was, several women muttered angry words while others bolted out of the throne room.

Queen Serenity herself sat on her throne with an eyebrow elegantly raised. She looked indifferent to the antics of the Senshi of Nemesis, but inwardly she was chuckling. It was refreshing to see such playful innocence after so many years. She hid a sly smile when Ranma tried to flip over her throne.

Ranma's laughter was cut short when something grabbed his foot. He looked back just in time to see Crystal holding him, smiling, before time caught up and he hit the ground hard. Ranma, still in a light mood, found the situation hilarious and howled with laughter. After a few moments, he stood back up with a chuckle and saw all the other Senshi standing there looking uncertain.

Ranma sobered his amusement and said, "No, you did not win. You have spent hours and have been unable to capture me. For now, you are done. Tomorrow we shall do the same thing. We will continue to do so until you can catch me. Only then will we continue in our training. Dismissed."

The Senshi shuffled out of the room, a few sending hesitant glances back at him before exiting. Once they were gone, Ranma let out another chuckle, "I guess I let my guard down at the end there, eh?"

Queen Serenity's sly smile was still there. "You should know better than to try anything at _my_ throne."

Ranma smirked up at her, "I guess I didn't learn the first time." The spark of amusement died before he sighed. "However, they should have gotten at least one clean hit in. They really don't understand their potential."

Crystal folded her hands as she turned serious. "Ranma, these women have been trained to wipe out army's, demons, space fleets, and things like that. Never had they heard of a target being able to overpower them, let alone one man for all of them. You have to understand that."

Ranma sighed again and ran a hand through his pigtail. "No, I understand. They are prepared for a large, slow moving enemy. However, that power won't be useful in what's coming up. These assassins are not large, they are not slow, and they will not hesitate to kill each of them. I need to train the Senshi to be faster, stronger, and more ready to kill them instead."

Crystal nodded once. "I understand. Might I ask, however, how this game of catch relates to the Senshi overcoming these new enemies?"

Ranma grinned at the memory. "Well, catching me isn't just about speed or power; it's about ingenuity. Once they get the hang of 'tagging' me in some way, they will be able to expand that into getting in attacks. Once they become attuned enough, they should be able to do so solo… Well, that's the theory anyways."

"So you are teaching them to use their minds in addition to their weapons and power," Crystal cocked her head. "While a most unorthodox method, I see how this relates to what is coming. Each enemy will be like you – just as hard to get. And if all of them can't catch one…."

Ranma nodded and continued her train of thought, "Then what chance does each one have in a one-on-one, if the combat squad doesn't all group together like we did against Senshi Pluto?" He gestured to his Senshi uniform. "I'll admit that I am faster in this form than the attackers will be when they come, but there are also eight Senshi to get me. Also, if I get them to be able to catch me like this solo, think about how much more prepared they will be against slower targets?"

Crystal smiled, enlightened, "Ranma, that is very clever of you. I hope that this will be a success." Ranma nodded at the praise. "Now, since you haven't eaten since breakfast, why don't you come with me to the dining room?"

Ranma was unnerved by her smile and the offer, but he couldn't place why. He also missed the predatory gleam in her eye, so he shrugged and said, "Sure."

When the duo reached the royal dining room, they found all eight of the other Senshi, along with Yuka, in there eating already. Ranma blinked in surprise before remembering that he forced them to skip two meals. He left to the only unoccupied chair, between Hotaru and Venus. Crystal looked a little sad before expertly masking it and sitting in her chair at the head of the table, opposite side of her secretary.

As Ranma drummed his finger on the table, waiting for the servants, he noticed that he was getting several glances. More than once, he had to stare at a Senshi until they would look away. After a minute of no servant coming out, Ranma realized something. They were at a table, with food and drinks, and the drinks had water inside. All of the girls that he had thus far prevented from seeing his curse were sitting right there. It was a miracle nothing had happened yet.

Just before Ranma stood, he saw a servant walk in carrying a jug of water for refills. Ranma stood up suddenly, sending his chair back against the wall and attracting the attention of everyone. He ignored them as he eyed the jug with all the caution of a life-or-death fight. The servant didn't stare long as he continued towards the table. Ranma moved with the servant, staying on the exact other side of the room.

Crystal had an idea on why Ranma was so apprehensive, so she covered her mouth to hide her smile. Hotaru also knew why Ranma was so worked up and let out a few giggles. When the servant was close enough, Hotaru stuck out her foot. The servant caught it and stumbled. Faster than the rest could see, Ranma bolted from the room, leaving an afterimage. The girls all blinked as the servant righted himself and dispensed the water.

Mars shook her head as they all recovered, "Man, if I wasn't already married…" Some shot incredulous glances her way, but others nodded in agreement. Mercury sent a dark look her way, but that was replaced with shock when Venus smirked.

"He will be my husband before the year is up." Her smirk died when she noticed several glares sent her way. "What?"

Hotaru was silent as she grabbed her plate and rose to leave the room. At a lack of weight, she looked down in surprise. Her plate was empty. Near the same time, the other Senshi noticed a lack of food. Even Setsuna was surprised to see her plate empty. The Nekomata stood up in rage. "RANMA!"

Ranma chuckled and patted his stomach as he walked down the halls of the palace. Just like old times…

XXXX

Ranma's new method of training continued the next day, but the Senshi were once again unable to touch the fast warrior. Ranma had expanded his 'playground' from the palace to all of the city around the palace. He stopped them at sunset once again, disappointed. The training continued for a whole week of no results before something changed.

It was only the first hour of the seventh day when Ranma noticed something off. Mars was in the air, high above him, occasionally shooting off fireballs his way. From behind, Uranus stalked him like a cat but she didn't flat out charge him like before. Other than that, all of the other Senshi were hidden. Ranma grinned at this new strategy.

Sending out his ki senses, Ranma felt the other Senshi moving around fast at various locations. Pinpointing the planet, Ranma ripped magic from Nemesis in preparation. He kept it at the ready.

A heavy mist suddenly formed around him. Ranma looked around in surprise. He could still feel the others, however, and felt them moving in some pattern. Ame had stopped sending fireballs as well, not dissipating the mist. Ranma tensed. Suddenly, Ranma felt one of the Senshi disappear from his senses and reappear somewhere else. Ranma frowned as Setsuna continued her teleporting.

A few times Setsuna teleported too close for his liking, but Ranma focused on making sure she never made contact with her. It was this distraction that led to his downfall. Ranma's danger sense went haywire, forcing him to jump over a World Shaking. What happened next surprised even him. A light rain had began, despite there not being any clouds earlier on.

As Ranma blinked at her transformation, she felt a sudden weight hit her in the back. Ranma turned around and picked up the small, grey stone in confusion. She felt Hotaru standing relevantly close.

Hotaru walked through the thick mist, smirking at the red head, "I got you, Ranma." Ranma went cold with realization.

Ranma laughed in her soft, petite voice, continuing as it turned masculine when he forced a transformation. Ranma smiled widely at his friend and tossed the small moon rock back to her. Hotaru caught it, beaming in triumph.

The mist cleared almost instantly, revealing the other smirking Senshi. Ranma nodded to them, "Very good, all of you. Taking away my sight with the mist, my concentration with Senshi Pluto, and catching me unawares with the rain were good techniques. Throwing rocks instead of approaching me was all a very good strategy. However, how did you know where I was in the mist?"

Hotaru grinned sheepishly and gestured to the many small rocks scattered around the area Ranma had stood previously. Ranma blinked at the number of rocks before laughing in amusement. "I see. So there was a touch of luck in there. I must ask, where did you all get the idea to work together like this?"

Ranma felt a new presence enter the area. He turned around to see his demon approaching. Kresh looked hesitant as he waved, "That would be me, Lord Ranma."

Ranma raised an eyebrow, "How?"

"Uh…"

_Flashback…_

_Kresh was practically pulling his hair out as he swung his arms around wildly. He used magic to make a wood doll with a pig-tail walk forward into a small cloud of mist, summoned rain above it, had a doll with long, green hair teleporting around, and then a doll with purple eyes and long black hair throwing a bunch of small rocks into the cloud._

_The Senshi just blinked at him. Kresh pulled out his shield and started bashing his head into it._

_End Flashback…_

"Well, they came to me for help yesterday and I spent hours going over various strategies," Kresh nodded at his own words. "Yeah… And they were quick learners. Forgive me if I intruded, Lord Ranma."

Ranma shrugged, "No, it's okay. I figured they might need a push. From now on, things will get more interesting." He turned towards the eight smug looking girls. "Well, since you couldn't do it on your own, we are going to do this every day from now on and I won't train you until you can touch me. Also, from now on, the only thing that counts will be your weapons, your spells, or yourself." Several of them groaned. "For now, let's get back to training."

Several hours later, after having lunch in the barracks with Setsuna, Ranma was back at the training grounds alone. He pulled out his scythe and transformed his new way once again. Although still recovering from taking so much magic earlier, he stole Nemesis's magic and forced it into himself.

Ranma slipped into a new kata he had formed over the years. It was extremely relaxing to once again go through the motions. Eventually, he mixed it up by adding in his planetary attack occasionally. Despite Ranma's lightning quick movements against an invisible opponent, his Chaos Bolts had deadly precision. As he continued, Ranma made sure to keep flooding himself with magic, getting his body used to the feeling.

After about an hour of this training, Ranma slowed down to a stop. He took deep breaths, trying to slow his heart. Once he deemed himself relaxed, Ranma tried something. He remembered what Nemesis said about Ryu combining magic with ki to make an improved Shadow Dragon. Now, Ranma could do the same with his Fubuki Sousou.

Ranma chilled the air around him to below freezing levels. As his skin began to make goosebumps, Ranma yelled, "_FUBUKI SOUSOU!"_ Snow white ki, empowered by the negative energy in the air, formed in his hand.

Ranma poured the magic in his body into the ki blast. Without warning, the small orb tripled in size. Flakes of ice formed around Ranma's arm. Ranma felt the raw power in the attack and tossed it towards an artificial boulder he had formed with the training machine.

The orb screamed as it shot forward. When it hit the boulder, it didn't stop. It demolished the thick rock and continued towards the training room wall. It proceeded to then eat through the five foot thick, metal wall. Before it reached the end, the attack exploded.

Ranma blinked as he unconsciously side-stepped a piece of shrapnel. The attack had opened a ten foot gap in the wall. While he noticed this, the fatigue hit Ranma hard. His knees buckled, forcing Ranma to use his scythe like a cane to prevent falling over. Despite his exhaustion, Ranma grinned. Oh yes, that was definitely more powerful.

XXXX

Ranma once again fell into routine. In the morning, he forced the Senshi to touch him before he would go into the real training. As he had told Queen Serenity earlier, Ranma made it harder and harder to catch him each time, forcing the Senshi to become more and more creative towards catching him. Ranma added more rules as well, such as a specific Senshi having to touch him and he could fight back.

In the evening, Ranma would go and train in using Nemesis's magic. He also informed the Senshi that they could join him if they wanted additional training. Hotaru and Setsuna were quick to agree. They were there with him almost everyday. The other Senshi came occasionally too if they needed help on a technique or something similar. On occasion, Nemesis herself would come to offer 'tips' for her Senshi.

Afterwards, Ranma would try to eat dinner at the barracks, but he was often invited to eat with some Senshi or other in the royal dinning room. After dinner, Ranma still had the occasional chat with Yuka or Queen Serenity.

Ranma's curse being revealed for the first time was a mix of misfortune, bad timing, and making the wrong person angry.

Of all the Senshi, Mercury was the only one who never warmed up to Ranma in time. That day was particularly stressful for the woman as Ranma had dueled with her in a one-verse-one match that ended with her being brutally beaten and humiliated as Ranma's mocking jibes were overheard by the other Senshi. She decided then for a bit of payback.

Ranma announced the rest of the day off after that, telling them that they deserved a break. Once he left, Venus proposed that they all visit the special hot-springs inside the palace. The other Senshi were quick to agree. When the Queen and her secretary wished to join them, Mercury's plan was formed. She grinned evilly. She told the other Senshi she had some things to take care of. She joined them just as they were getting into the water.

Ranma himself was returning to his room after a plentiful lunch in the barracks. He found the room empty, so he guessed Kresh was off with Marx somewhere. For some strange reason, the two had hit it off well despite the lack of communication. Once Ranma closed the door to his small, plain room, he felt something was off. Ranma looked around, not being able to see anything beside his neatly made bed and his small dresser, and shrugged.

Shaking off the feeling, Ranma decided to change out of his dirty clothes that he had used for training. He tossed the dirty clothes behind him as he reached for the dresser. He didn't notice that the clothes landed on his bed or the light that that formed because of it until it was too late. Ranma got off one curse before he was teleported away somewhere.

At the hot-springs, the girls were only speaking in small, idle talk, mindful of the Queen. Said woman was simply enjoying the hot water with her eyes closed and a smile on her face. Her long, sliver hair was out of her usual style and flowed freely around her. Mercury looked a little anxious, but strangely excited for something. None of the other Senshi made note of her though.

A sudden flash of light above them had all of the Senshi tense. They blinked when they heard a distinct yelling before a form fell out of a portal and into the hot-spring. Several were quick to cover themselves as they recognized the yelling as male.

Under the water, Ranma had his eyes closed and teeth grit. _Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit. WHY DOES THIS KEEP HAPPENING TO ME?_ He tried to think of several ways to get out of the situation before he just sighed. How a trigger activated teleportation spell ended up on his bed, he didn't know, but he did know that it ended with him in the palace hot-springs with what he guessed to be all of the Senshi.

_Well, at least I know they can't kill me… Not yet anyways…_ he thought to himself as he rose to a standing position and opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was confused purple eyes and long silvery hair. _Strike that… SHE can kill me…_ He just let out a sheepish grin and scratched the back of his pig-tail in a familiar gesture, "Um… Sorry about this…"

"Ranma…" Said man turned around to see crimson eyes. Oh yes, he was quite good at keeping his eyes on their eyes. It comes with experience.

"Hey there Setsuna. I can explain this, really." He let out a nervous chuckle as he felt red battle auras start to blaze. He missed Mercury's grin.

Pluto was a mask of icy calm, forcibly restraining herself, "Please… Do so." Her pale flesh had colored slightly with her time on the moon, but she was still significantly lighter than the rest of the Senshi. Right now, that skin was beginning to turn red – in rage or embarrassment, Ranma couldn't tell.

Ranma scratched the base of his pig-tail again, "Well, you see… I was heading to my room when uhh…"

Mercury initiated the second part of her plan. With a towel covering her front, she screamed, "Pervert!" and lashed out with a water bucket.

Ranma ducked under the bucket, trying to ignore all the female flesh around him. "Wait a second, I can explain! Really!" He caught a glimpse of silver in the midst if all the skin. He turned his head to see the Nekomata there, staring at him blankly. Ranma lost his control for a second as curiosity overtook him. Yep, the silver fur covered her entire body.

That one quick glance was the breaking point for the woman. A dangerous glint entered her eyes as she unsheathed her claws. Ranma gulped in fear. Suddenly, a pair of arms grabbed Ranma and threw him out of the pool, revealing his own nakedness. Ranma eeped and tried to cover himself, looking back in time to see Uranus standing there looking furious.

Ranma's relevantly short flight ended with him landing in another pool. This one was the icy 'cool off' pool. Ranma cursed as she transformed. Like the other pool, she couldn't do a forced transformation while still in contact with the water. Ranma rose from the water and glared at the other women.

Hotaru was too busy blushing furiously and trying to cover herself to notice Ranma's transformation, least of all comment to it. Nekomata rose from the heated pool in a calm rage and began walking towards the redhead, her claws extended and her tails swishing furiously. Crystal had yet to move, least of all cover herself, as she watched the happenings with amusement.

"Who are you?" Uranus asked heatedly, but her eyes roamed the new girl's body. Neptune was also taking in the new girl's form, too distracted to swat her lover.

Mercury had lost her grin when this new twist presented itself.

Ranma noticed Mercury's wilting look and was surprisingly able to piece it all together. She glared at the blue haired woman. "I am Ranma. It seems…" Ranma paused when she noticed that fear was struck in the hearts of the women. "Oh shit…"

"STARLIGHT!" Someone yelled. Ranma couldn't tell who, but it broke the Senshi out of their stupor and they reacted quickly to defend the Queen. Hotaru, Setsuna, Mars, and Jupiter didn't move into formation, still covering themselves. The flashes of transformations had Ranma sweating, despite the cool temperature of the pool.

The Senshi who hadn't heard of Ranma's curse began to attack, seeming to forget they could never beat her in a fight. Ranma was quick to do her less fancy transformation – regrettably with the ever-present Henshin Rod as the scythe was left in her room. The Senshi uniform melded onto her. Ranma jumped out of the pool, away from the attacks, and noticed something… different.

She looked down and, after a quick inspection, screamed in terror. The armor had been refitted to match the form, forming a breastplate that hugged her chest perfectly. That wasn't the problem. The metal cup that had been there previously was obviously gone, and in place of that and the form-hugging white pants was a miniskirt with a silver and black trim. A sudden shout snapped her attention back to the women.

Crystal jumped up, arm thrust forward with a victorious smile. Ranma regrettably noticed the parts that jumped up with her. "I told you! That's 150 Stardust!" She was looking at Nekomata as she spoke and ended with a grin towards Ranma.

Ranma blinked when Nekomata suddenly stopped her march and deflated, "A bet's a bet, Serenity-sama." She pulled out the credits from… somewhere and handed it to the woman's waiting hand. All of the Senshi watched, confused.

Ranma tore her eyes away from the free show she was still getting, but she made sure that none of the Senshi were still attacking while she stared towards the wall. She crossed her arms and sighed at the absurdity of the whole situation. This was something she had tried so hard to prevent, and it exploded in an instant.

Mercury was first to figure it out, "Wait… you can't be a Starlight. You are Senshi of Nemesis." That caught the attention of the others, and they realized it as well. All of the eyes turned back to Ranma who was still keeping her eyes on the side wall.

Surprisingly, it was Queen Serenity who spoke, "Of course Ranma is not a Starlight. He has a curse that causes the changing of genders at certain water temperatures." Five others nodded their agreement.

Ranma suddenly transformed back into a male, happy as the uniform changed with the genders. "And I learned how to force the change with magic." He turned his head and glared at Mercury. "Damn it, woman. Why did you put that spell on my bed?"

Mercury began to sweat when eleven pairs of eyes bore into her. "Uh… I don't know what you're talking about. Pervert!" Her righteous pose died when she saw that none of the women were convinced. The women who hadn't transformed now wrapped themselves in towels as they rose from the pool, glaring at the blue haired woman.

Ranma sighed and scratched the base of his pig-tail one more time. "Um, yeah… Sorry 'bout all this. I'm just gonna leave now… I'll uh… see you tomorrow at training." He edged towards the door.

Uranus stopped him. "Oh no you're not. You just got a free show off of all of us here. To make up for it, you're going to have to give a free show yourself. In your girl form, of course." Neptune hit her across the head this time.

Ranma blinked once before he suddenly disappeared. The door swung closed a second after.

Crystal had a smile as she turned her eyes away from the door and slipped off her towel. She stepped back into the onsen and relaxed once again. "It's a good thing I had this whole room reinforced; I don't have to pay for the repairs."

The other Senshi blinked as they returned to the heated pool one-by-one. Mercury reconsidered joining them when they all glared at her. She was gone as fast as Ranma.

XXXX

The next day in training was awkward. Kresh and Marx had no idea why everyone was so silent, but they didn't say anything. Ranma tried to glare at Mercury as he trained her, Jupiter, and Pluto, but he often had to look away when the other women started staring at him. Ranma constantly blushed while speaking, Jupiter's smirk and Setsuna's ticking eyebrow distracting him.

Eventually, things cleared up and the event was forgotten. Ranma continued his rigorous training, pushing the Senshi as hard as he dared. A few times others would come to witness his work. Prince Endymion, rejected son of Earth's rulers, had met Ranma and occasionally joined in his afternoon trainings. Saffron, ambassador of Mars, had also come to meet Ranma. One training session was canceled when the two advisers of the Queen came to witness the Senshi's progress; it took four hours to find Ranma after he saw the cats.

The biggest shock to Ranma was when Queen Serenity herself left the palace and met him just before he started an afternoon training. The silver haired woman was still in her formal, white gown, but her face was locked in determination. She had the Ginzuisho gripped in her hand as she said, "I would like to test my full power against yours, Senshi Nemesis."

Ranma was stunned silent for a moment. His face was expressionless as he regarded her. Slowly, he drew his scythe from its holster on his back and let his transformation roll over him. "As you wish, Queen Serenity."

Ranma tensed and ripped a large portion of magic from Nemesis. Power coursed through his body. Suddenly, Ranma felt the location of Nemesis change. The green haired woman suddenly appeared in the training room. She looked surprised to see Crystal also standing there, but she understood what was about to happen.

Ranma looked to the embodied planet and smirked. She grinned lecherously back, winking as she ran her eyes over his muscled form. Ranma shook his head and turned his attention back to the Queen.

Crystal looked a deadly calm as she stood there. Her dark purple eyes narrowed as she said, "No remorse, Ranma."

Ranma returned one short nod. "No remorse." The two regarded each other for a moment before Ranma said, "Ready when you are." The Queen raised the Silver Crystal in response.

Ranma felt the raising power this time. "_CHAOS BOLT!" _He forced more magic into it than usual before tossing the black orb. The dot grew to roughly three feet thick before it slammed into the incoming wall of power. Despite the power behind the Chaos Bolt, it was only strong enough to punch a pocket of protection for Ranma as the rest of the attack pushed past him.

Ranma grinned and blurred forward. He ended right next to the Queen and tripped her with a sweeping kick. A tendril of magic shot from the Ginzuisho, forcing Ranma back from a follow up attack. Crystal showed that her gracefulness extended to fighting as well when she did a handstand instead of falling and flipped herself back into a standing position.

Once Ranma rolled away from the tendril, he shot a bolt of lightning from his hand. While not as powerful as Jupiter's planetary attack, it was just as strong as a real bolt from an Earthen storm. Queen Serenity easily deflected the lightning away. She counterattacked with a something Ranma had yet to experience before.

A force, like a large hand, wrapped around Ranma, pinning his useful arm down and restricting his movement. Ranma desperately tried to escape the bondage. The hand lifted up and slammed the martial artist into the ground, cracking the artificial rocky surface. It did so three more times before Ranma found out how to cancel the magic holding him.

Ranma shook his head once to clear it once he removed the hand. He pulled out his scythe and channeled magic into it. The weapon began to take a black glow as power flooded into wood and metal. Once it was ready, Ranma swung it down hard towards Crystal and shouted an entirely new spell, "_REAPER'S HARROWING!"_

A black blast formed in the downswing. As it shot forward, silvery lightning crackled around the beam. The lightning carved chunks out of the ground as it passed, leaving devastation in its wake. The spell was too large to dodge, so Queen Serenity tried to cancel it with her Ginzuisho.

The Silver Crystal flashed once before power erupted from it. The Queen gritted her teeth at the power being channeled before she unleashed it towards the new spell, "_COSMIC MOON POWER!"_

Pink orbs shot towards the Harrowing. The black spell smashed through the first three orbs, but it finally exhausted itself on the forth. Three more orbs continued towards Ranma. Ranma could sense the power behind each one and tried to dodge. He lurched to the side, but for some reason he felt the magic tearing against him even from the distance.

Ranma ripped more magic from Nemesis, using the woman as she was right there. He flooded himself with it, using it to lessen the effects. Once the spell ended, Ranma dropped to one knee, breathing hard. He grinned up at Crystal.

Ranma sheathed his scythe and held out his hand. He channeled the magic in him into it along with ki, mixing the two. Magic leaked into the air, chilling it into below freezing temperatures. Queen Serenity shivered once as goosebumps formed along her exposed skin despite the heat of fighting. Ranma infused the negative energy in the air into his attack, mixing now three energies. Frost formed up Ranma's arm.

Ranma unleashed his attack, "_FUBUKI SOUSOU!_" The snow white ball of energy, about two feet thick, shot forward. Ranma charged after it.

Crystal once again tried canceling the spell, but to her surprise it tore through anything she sent. She had no time to react when it slammed into her and exploded. She cried in pain as it knocked her off her feet. Her body flared in pain as the spell tried ripping her in pieces. Only the magic of the Ginzuisho stopped her from that painful death.

She was still in the air when the spell died down. Just before she hit the wall, Ranma was there. He elbowed her in her seared and exposed stomach. The woman almost blacked out from the pain and sudden change of motion. She hit the ground hard, her lithe body not quite heavy enough to make a crater. Dazed as she was, she was still able to manage a spell that knocked Ranma back when he tried to get another hit on her.

The spell hit Ranma's chest plate, not even damaging him despite taking him off his feet. He turned his body in such a way that allowed him to land on his feet. By then, the Queen had stood.

Crystal looked down at her ruined dress. There was a jagged tear at the stomach area that went down low, making it almost indecent. Dirt and blood stained other parts of it. Her stomach was a mess of black and red. Blood leaked from various wounds. She winced at the pain.

She waved the Ginzuisho once, ignited the magic in it. Her stomach healed flawlessly; the only thing left was the blood stains. The dress repaired itself shortly after, once again covering her form. The dirt and blood stains on the soft, white material vanished. She was still breathing hard when she returned her attention to Ranma.

Ranma smirked at the woman and remembered Kresh's notion that this much power must be released, not controlled. He checked his body and found it still functioning normally despite the power that had been channeled into it so far. It was still less than what he and Kresh had done, and he had increased the capacity greatly in his afternoon trainings. He still had a long way to go before he had to stop.

Magic exploded from Ranma as he took Kresh's advice. The chunks of ground that his Harrowing had torn up rose into the air and morphed into spikes, just as Kresh had done. A ball of flame formed in his palm as lightning crackled around his arm. Ranma made sure to grab more magic from Nemesis to keep it going.

Crystal observed the change with caution. Ranma noticed she looked regal even as she stood there waiting. Crystal brought the magic forth from the Silver Crystal, keeping it at the ready for a quick response to whatever he did.

Ranma smirked as he attacked. The spikes shot forward from different angles just as he released the fireball. The lightning followed shortly after, empowering the fireball. Ranma didn't stop there as vines broke from of the ground and lashed out towards the woman. As a finisher, Ranma unleashed the strongest gale of wind he could, exhausting the rest of Nemesis's magic. Ranma calmly stole more.

Crystal was shocked at the incoming attack. She wasted no time as she reached beyond her standard attacks and forced the magic raw from the Ginzuisho. The spikes vanished in the air before reaching their target. She reached her magic down and forced a large slab of rock from the ground to protect her from the fireball, despite knowing it wouldn't hold. She released an offensive spell right when Ranma's ball of lightning and fire hit the rock.

The rock held for a second as it cracked. It then shattered and the attack tore through. Right then, the gale of wind hit and carried all the shards of rock with it towards the woman in a deadly fury. Crystal's attack canceled the first spell, but it did nothing for the rocks and wind. Working on instinct, Crystal unleashed a gale of her own while swatting all of the rocks away with the invisible hand she had used before.

Crystal's wind didn't do much to Ranma's ungodly torrent, but it lessened it somewhat when it slammed her off her feet. Crystal winced from the blow before she stopped herself in the air only inches from the training room wall. Just then the vines wrapped around her wrist and legs.

Crystal hung there, suspended for a moment, before she saw more spells coming her way from Ranma. She cut the vines with blades of air before forming a shield of magic to stop an incoming fireball. She retaliated quickly and sent all of the debris towards Ranma.

Ranma batted the debris aside with a thought and started a march towards the woman. Her magic may be more powerful than his, she may be able to channel magic longer than him, but she couldn't take a hit. It reminded him of his fight with Saffron all those years ago.

Crystal saw Ranma approaching as he cast spell after spell at her. She was powerless to stop his progress as she desperately defended herself. She wasn't tired yet, but she didn't have the skill it took to stop Ranma's onslaught _and_ fight back. She tried backing away, but the wall was right there. Desperate, she forced as much magic as she dared into one powerful spell.

Ranma paused when he saw an attack break through to of his spells and still coming strong. He realized that he made a mistake when a Fubuki Sousou didn't even slow it. The attack hit him hard and launched him across the room. Ranma first hit the wall and broke through the two foot thick material, the side of the palace. He continued his flight as he spanned the short width of a hallway and broke through another wall. He saw that he was in the war room before he hit the far wall of that as well.

Queen Serenity's attack carried Ranma through that wall before it finally died out. Ranma groaned as he forced himself to his feet. He saw that he was in the grand hall that led to the throne room. He coughed once and shook his head. If he didn't have the plates of black copper protecting him, he was sure he wouldn't be conscious from that. As it was, he didn't even have a broken rib.

Ranma righted himself and jumped through the holes he had made. He made it back to the training ground relatively fast and grinned at the stunned Queen. "All the way to the grand hall." The Queen's eyes widened.

Before Ranma ripped more magic from Nemesis, he noticed how taxed his body was from channeling. He would have to end it soon and with as little magic as possible. I didn't really matter, however, as he already realized his earlier mistake and knew how to win.

Ranma blurred forward and dodged a spell sent by Crystal. He ended behind the woman. Quickly, he elbowed her in the back of the head. The woman staggered forward, but she didn't black out. Ranma expected that, however. He also expected the Ginzuisho to have a backlash like it did before and was able to dodge it when it did.

In a quick motion, Ranma kicked the Ginzuisho out of Queen Serenity's hand. The woman, still dazed from the earlier blow, had no hope of holding it. Ranma didn't stop there as he spun around and kicked the back of Crystal's knees. As the woman fell forward, Ranma drew his scythe and had it against her neck right when she landed on her knees.

Time seemed to slow then. Crystal's dark purple eyes seemed to clear as she looked up into his cold blue ones. She was powerless before him now. Ranma felt the remaining magic his body could hold coursing through him. Adrenaline pounded in his veins like fire. Both breathed hard as they held eye contact. Ranma felt a bloodlust screaming to end her, to finish it. As he restrained it, a thought passed through his head: _Why?_

His control against the bloodlust slowly slipped away as he realized that the Queen of the Moon Kingdom was before him, defeated. He could end it now - end the corruption. There was nothing she could do against him now. There was no need to hold back. With a jerk of his scythe, he could be done with it, done with her.

Crystal saw the look in his eyes. She also knew her helplessness. She was at his mercy now, the mercy of the man who had sworn to kill her. She briefly wondered if it was worth saving him from death. She could have killed him back then, but now he had grown too strong. There was nothing she could do now if he decided to kill them all. Their fight proved that. She saw the fury, the bloodlust, inside his eyes.

Ranma looked down his scythe. His eyes followed the green wood, down the long shaft, to the black blade. He followed the curve of the metal to her pale throat. His eyes trailed up from the exposed neck, up her chin, past her purple lips that highlighted her eyes, curved around her cute nose, rose to the yellow crescent on her forehead, before they ended their journey on her dark purple eyes.

Ranma studied her eyes intently. Inside them, he saw that she knew what he was thinking. Instead of anger or sorrow or fear or any other emotion he thought he would see, he saw her patience. She didn't even seem to care about her life. She just patiently waited for what he would do.

For a second, Crystal seemed to vanish as a memory hit Ranma. He saw Mihoshi before him, standing at blade point. Her crimson eyes were locked on his, she also showed no fear or sorrow or other emotions that one usually experiences before death. He frowned when the vision left him and he saw Crystal on her knees before him, also at blade point.

Ranma smirked. "I win." He lifted the scythe and shouldered it. He grinned at Nemesis, who was frowning, before walking back towards the palace. As he walked, he saw Kresh standing next to the exit with his arms crossed. The little demon had an unreadable expression on his face. Ranma had lost his grin once he turned away from Nemesis. He nodded once at his familiar when he was close enough. "Kresh."

Kresh nodded back in acknowledgement. "Lord Ranma," he responded in a neutral voice.

Ranma just walked past him, back into the palace.

Ranma had decided to skip dinner and return straight to his room. For some reason, he couldn't shake a cold feeling at the bottom of his spine. Along the way, he saw the Nekomata looking bored. She brightened considerably when she saw him.

"Hi Ranma."

Ranma smiled back. "Hey Yuka," he said tiredly.

The genetically altered woman walked with him, "Just finished training, huh?"

Ranma grunted, "You could say that." When she glanced at him, he said, "Crystal wanted to duel."

Yuka stumbled. "Serenity-sama? Tell me you didn't fight her! Not after…"

"After I tried to kill her?" Ranma finished for her. "Yeah well, now I just beat her. Took a hell of a lot out of me, by the way."

Nekomata stopped walking. Ranma paused to look back at her. He saw her eyes wide and mouth open slightly. Suddenly, she rushed up and grabbed his arm, "What? What happened?"

Ranma shifted positions, his black plates clanking. "Well, we fought and I won. What else could have happened? You want a step-by-step recount or something?"

"You didn't… do anything to her?" Nekomata wet her lips.

Ranma raised an eyebrow. "I beat her in a _fight_. Obviously I did _something_ to her." He started walking again, pulling her along.

Yuka frowned as they walked, "You know that's not what I meant."

"Well, I didn't slit her throat if that's what you meant."

Nekomata sighed, "That's good." They were silent for a moment. Remembering how Ranma fought, she looked back towards the training room. "I hope she's alright…"

"I'm fine, thanks for asking."

Nekomata swatted the back of his head. "Don't get flip with me. You won so you're obviously fine."

Ranma just chuckled.

Eventually, they reached Ranma's room. The Nemesis Guest Quarters, unused from the start of Queen Serenity II rule to the start of Queen Serenity IV rule, were perfect for Ranma. Unlike the Senshi's rooms, this was modest.

The room was of a large size, as was expected, but the furniture and bed remained simple. The theme was a mix of silver and black, the contrasting colors of Nemesis. However, the dressers and wood bedposts were of the actual green trees of Nemesis. A fireplace lay in the back. Although no longer cold after his time in the icy Urgok village, Ranma occasionally had a fire going.

Yuka smiled at the room and was quick to recline on the massive bed. She smiled provocatively up at Ranma. Used to the look from Nemesis, Ranma just shook his head and moved towards the bathroom. "I'm gonna take a bath. I'll leave the door open so we can still talk." He walked in and left the door cracked.

The Nekomata heard the water turn on and grinned. Oh, he would regret that in the long run. But first… "So have you heard about what's coming up in a couple of weeks?"

"No," Ranma called out from the bathroom. Nekomata heard him hiss as he entered the water.

"There is going to be a royal ball for all the representatives. It's going to be the second year since the Silent Chaos joined us and will signify our unity. Actually, it will also have been almost a year since you've joined us."

"Ugh, don't remind me," Ranma groaned.

Yuka giggled and shook her head. "Oh please, Ranma." She grinned wickedly, "Oh, and since you're a Senshi and a key representative of Nemesis, you _must_ attend."

Ranma grunted. "Oh joy."

Nekomata rose from the bed stealthy as a… well, as a cat. "Oh yes. And the best part is that you will need a date." She padded her way across the soft carpet and crept to the cracked door.

"This just keeps getting more and more fun," Ranma called out, not knowing how close the other occupant was.

Suddenly, Nekomata swung the door open, grinning. Her eyes roamed the body of the surprised Senshi. Ranma was quick to cover himself. When her amethyst purple eyes turned to his sapphire blue ones, she asked, "So, Wild Horse, which Senshi are you gonna ask?"

Ranma chilled the water in the tub enough to trigger his curse. The red head grinned and said, "Well, I was thinking I could ask Senshi Uranus, maybe Neptune, but then I decided I could ask both since there's enough of me to go around."

Yuka rolled her feline eyes and shook her head. "Hell, I wouldn't even doubt that they would agree to that."

Ranma moved her hands away to the sides of the tub, not caring about modesty in that form, especially towards a girl. More seriously, she asked, "Does it have to be a Senshi?"

"No, of course not. Why?" She grinned. "A certain councilwoman caught the eye of the infamous rogue Senshi? Or maybe Nemesis herself?"

Ranma scoffed, "Why, Yuka-_chan_, I was thinking of you."

The woman was startled by the old nickname, but stunned senseless by what had come after. "M-M-Me?"

Ranma grinned towards her, enjoying her unease. "Of course you. I have to choose someone apparently and you're the closest person to ask. Why not ask you?"

Yuka sighed, gathering her bearings. "'Closest person to ask.' Gee, thanks Ranma-_kun._ It's nice to know I mean so much to you."

Ranma smirked, "And you got the most adorable tails out of all the girls. Not to mention that sexy fur you have. As a matter of fact, I hear it covers your _entire_ body."

Nekomata blushed furiously, remembering the time at the hot-springs. Suddenly, she got a glint in her eyes, "Well, Ran-chan, I could slip in there with you and you could find out if that statement is true or not." She moved her hands to the straps of her royal gown. She stopped when she saw Ranma new mood.

_Damn, even after all this time… I still remember,_ Ranma thought to herself. Images of Ukyo and all the others flashed through her mind. It was so long ago and yet was still so fresh. She sighed. Not to forget the other occupant, Ranma forcibly brightened her expression and said, "So what's your answer?"

Yuka noticed the fake but didn't push it. She smiled softly and said, "I'd love to go with you, Ranma."

XXXX

After the Senshi's training the next day, Ranma had been approached by Venus. The blond had bounced up to him with a flirtatious grin and asked him if he would go to the royal ball with her. Ranma told her that he already was going with someone, but he promised one dance with her when she pouted.

After that, Ranma had gotten progressively more nervous as he realized something. The feelings got worse when Hotaru approached him.

The woman, despite her maturity, was still shy. She had a heavy blush when she saw Ranma and said, "Hey Ranma…"

Ranma raised an eyebrow, "What is it, Hotaru-chan?"

Despite her embarrassment, Hotaru managed to not stutter as she asked, "Since the upcoming royal ball is for the unification of the Silent Chaos and the Moon Kingdom, I was wondering if you would… be my escort."

Ranma let out a small smile, "I'm sorry, Hotaru, but I already agreed to go with someone else." Hotaru looked crushed at that. Ranma cursed at the look. "However, we can have a dance if you would like."

Hotaru brightened considerable. "Okay!" She quickly hugged her old friend before practically skipping down the hallway.

Ranma smiled at her as she left, still feeling tingly from the hug. He shook his head and continued on towards the throne room. _This just keeps on getting better and better._

After, Ranma stood awkwardly before the Queen. She was obviously recovered from their duel. The throne room was empty by her request. Crystal's gentle purple eyes regarded his discomfort. "What is it, Ranma?"

Ranma took a deep breath before speaking. "Yuka told me of the upcoming royal ball."

Crystal nodded, "And as the representative Senshi of Nemesis, you must attend."

Ranma took a deep breath. "Well, there are two problems with that." He gestured to his useless right arm. "I can't use this."

Queen Serenity merely cocked her head as she observed the arm. "I fail to see the problem there. Several dances involve only one arm, and no one will be offended if you only used one on the formal dances."

Ranma sighed and broke eye contact with her. In a soft tone, making the Queen struggle to hear him, Ranma said, "That's the other problem. I- uh…" He mustered up the courage. "I don't know how to dance."

Crystal blinked down at the warrior before her. Suddenly, she laughed. It wasn't cruel or mocking but the gentle chime of amusement that Ranma had found to be a pleasant sound, despite the situation. "Well, that certainly is a problem, isn't it? No matter." She smiled down at him when he looked back up at her. "I shall teach you."

Ranma's eyes widened at the proclamation. He gaped openly, causing Crystal to grin and wink.

XXXX

The next day, after training, Ranma got roped into eating with Setsuna at the barracks. As usual, their presence scattered the guards and they had a whole table to themselves.

After some idle chatter, Setsuna cut to her real reason for eating with him, "So Ranma, with the upcoming royal ball, I was wondering if you would go with me as my escort."

Ranma blinked at that. How many people were going to ask him? "Oh, um… Sorry, Setsuna. I already asked Yuka."

Setsuna didn't seem put off by the rejection, but she did seem a little depressed. "I see." Her eyes stayed on her food.

Ranma noticed the mood and sighed. "What's wrong?"

Setsuna didn't look up at him. "Despite our loyalty to the Queen, people don't trust Plutoians – or maybe they are afraid of us. I have attended every ball, but I have never had an escort at any of those occasions. Now that I am also the Time Keeper, it is even more unlikely that I will ever have one."

Ranma frowned, "Why is that?"

"I don't know. Maybe they are afraid of the future; that I'll know they will mess up. Maybe they are afraid that I'll look into their past and see all the skeletons in their closets," Setsuna muttered.

Remembering Crystal's promise, Ranma suggested, "Well, I'm willing to share a dance with you. That is, if you really wish to dance with a cripple."

Startled, Setsuna looked back up at him. "A cripple?" Her eyes turned to his right arm. "No, Ranma, you're not a cripple." Her eyes returned to his - fire to ice. She snorted, "A cripple couldn't beat the Queen in a fight."

Ranma smiled, "So, it's a date then?" He missed the implications of his wording.

Setsuna smiled back, "It's a date."

XXXX

Instead of the afternoon training session, Ranma entered the ballroom. Inside, he found Queen Serenity already waiting for him. She smiled at him in a way that had Ranma smiling back despite his nervousness.

Crystal went straight to the dancing, bypassing small talk. First, she showed Ranma how he was to move, stepping to an unheard tune.

Ranma followed her movements closely, memorizing. Back when he was a kid on Nemesis, Ryu had noticed Ranma ability to learn. He found that it was focused on just marital arts, in which Ranma had a photographic memory. He had worked on extending that ability to everything, not just fighting. Now, that was paying off as Ranma paid careful attention to each movement she made.

After Crystal finished the first dance, she then demonstrated to Ranma how the woman was to dance. Ranma easily put the two together, getting a visual of how it was going to play out. He found himself trying to predict each movement. He matched each graceful step and twirl with how he was to move.

After the demonstrations, Crystal motioned for Ranma to join her. Ranma had forgotten his earlier nervousness as his mind worked in overdrive, trying to extract the details of his part. He quickly stepped up to her and placed his left hand in her right. At his insistence, she didn't take his right in her left.

The duo then attempted Crystal's earlier movements. Ranma stumbled at a few parts, forget several steps, and overall had the grace of a bull in a china shop. The Queen gently corrected his mistakes and took the bumps in stride. She smiled when he got certain parts right, and Ranma made sure to improve with every attempt.

Several hours later, both were breathing hard and had radiant smiles on their faces. Ranma ended by spinning her in a snappy twirl. They stayed there for a moment, bodies apart yet connected by their hands. Crystal's dark purple eyes flashed up at Ranma. Ranma grinned and reluctantly released her hand. On impulse, he bowed to her. To his surprise, she curtsied back.

After that, Ranma broke into a chuckle. Crystal's chiming laughter soon joined his. Together, they went to the royal dinning room and enjoyed a meal with just the two of them. They discussed the dance and Ranma's improvement, laughing at his occasional blunder.

XXXX

The dancing lessons continued everyday for the next two weeks. As Ranma learned dance after dance, he found that he enjoyed the thrill of it. After the first week, Crystal had brought a device that emitted music. Ranma found it all the better with music. On the tenth day, Crystal informed Ranma that he had learned all of the formal dances.

From then on, the two continued dancing together, doing whichever dance they fancied. Without the intense focus Ranma used for learning, they were able to relax and talk to each other while dancing.

On the last day, during one of the slower dances, the Queen was pressed up against the tall Senshi with her head lying against his chest. She listened to his heart beat as they swayed in the music. She finally said, in a voice just loud enough to be heard over the music, "This is our last day."

Ranma nodded from above her. "Yeah… It's been fun." He did a slow spin with her. "Thank you."

Crystal smiled, "Your welcome. I'm going to miss these moments; I forgot just how fun dancing was."

The music was reaching its end. "It doesn't have to end here, you know. We could still get together, just less often as I need to get back to training."

The Queen closed her eyes, still smiling. "Of course. I would like that." Just then, the song ended. "Ranma, I don't have anyone to dance with during tomorrow's ball. I know you're already promised to my secretary, but would greatly enjoy it if we could share but a single dance."

Ranma smiled at her, "Of course we can." Crystal smiled back.

The next song burst into a fast-paced rhythm. The duo grinned and readjusted themselves. In no time, they were moving just as fast as the music. They moved with quick steps in a complicated pattern and swift twirls. At the end of this song, they were breathing hard.

As she panted, Queen Serenity asked, "Ranma, would you mind transforming?" Ranma complied, adjusting her clothes after. She raised an eyebrow to which the Queen replied, "I've never tried it with a girl."

Ranma shook her head and got into position. "Don't tell me you're…"

Crystal smirked, "You don't live over 300 years without having… thoughts. Not to mention the openness for women here, with the feminism and everything." Ranma was surprised when Crystal gripped her right hand. She forgot about that. "And I wanted you to try at least _one_ dance with both hands."

The next song started. It was slower than the last one but definitely still fast. The duo moved with practiced ease. Ranma soon found herself grinning as she gave in to the dance, now able to with her whole body. Crystal had a smile of her own as they moved swiftly. Ranma dipped the Queen low, revealing the flexibility of both of them. With her head only inches above the Queen's breasts, Ranma smirked down into her purple eyes. The moment didn't last as she lifted the Queen back up and continued the dance.

The music got faster and faster as the end approached with what seemed all too soon. In the final moments, Ranma spun the Queen out, keeping hold of her right hand. Just as the woman reached the pinnacle, Ranma pulled hard. Crystal spun back fast, towards Ranma's waiting arms. The final note hit right when the twirl ended. Ranma pulled her close, pressing the Queen's back against her chest. Suddenly, Ranma ducked down and lifted the Queen off her feet.

Crystal could do nothing but laugh as she was cradled in Ranma's arms like a bride after a wedding. Ranma spun around once, laughing with her. Eventually, Ranma gracefully returned the Queen to her feet. Both had sweat dripping off their forms as they grinned at each other. Their still held each others hands.

Ranma panted, trying to catch her breath, and reluctantly released Crystal's hands. She withdrew the tiny bit of magic that was in the air to force the transformation. Crystal watched as the petite red-head morphed back into the tall, muscular man. Ranma held out his left arm, which the Queen hooked her right into, and together they walked out of the ball room and towards the dinning room - he had long since forgotten his former reluctance for the act, and as of late he often found himself looking forward to the excuse of spending more time with the woman.

XXXX

"Ranma – OW dammit! – I don't think this is going to work," the man grunted as Ranma forced the tuxedo onto him.

Ranma just grinned. "Do you want to dance with the Princess or not, Endymion?"

The man sighed as he arm was forced into the tight sleeve. "You know the answer to that… But is _this_ tux necessary?"

"Well, we can't have everyone recognizing the Prince of Earth now can we?" Ranma let the man button his own jacket as he fished out the mask and hat.

The rejected son of Earth sighed again. "You're right, I know, but…" He huffed as he pressed the white mask over his eyes. "Damn sexism. Damn royalty… Hell, damn everything."

Ranma smirked at him and handed the black hat. "That's the spirit." The man donned it and his outfit was complete.

Ranma himself was in a white tuxedo, reminiscent of the failed wedding all those years ago in Nerima. Endymion had been forbidden to coming to the moon after his mother found out about his romantic interest in Princess Serenity. Not long after, the council banned him from coming within 1,000 miles of the Princess incase she ever visited Earth.

The prince had lived a hard life, so Ranma heard. As a male heir, he was denied a place on the throne. Also, his parents had been unable to produce another child after him. That left the mother bitter, and she often took out her misfortunes on her son. When he grew older, she placed him in the military in hopes of him being slain in combat while still having honor for serving the Queen. To her surprise, the man had a knack for fighting and quickly rose to the rank of General. She had little say in the matter.

Four of the Prince's best friends also rose through the military ranks and were now his lieutenants, each in command of a section of the army. In one of his occasional visits to the moon to deliver reports on the troops, Endymion had stumbled across the Princess in the courtyard. Sparks flew between the two as they started a secret relationship.

Not long after, Queen Hystia of Earth, Endymion's mother found out about the two and forbid him from ever going to the moon. That had happened fairly recently, after Ranma had met and trained with him. Now Ranma decided to help the man out as a friend and in spite of the Moon Kingdom.

The men, in their contrasting white and black tuxedos, left the room. Ranma himself refused to wear a mask and a hat, but then again he didn't need a disguise. The ones he had given Endymion were specifically enchanted to prevent people from recognizing him except for the princess herself and of course Ranma. To do so, Ranma had summoned another Urgok: Kiira the Enchantress. Afterwards, he sent her back with a thanks and a message for Hemild from Kresh.

They walked together to the Royal Quarters, waiting for their respective dates. The two entered small talk about fighting and happenings on their respective areas. They had agreed on referring to Endymion as Tuxedo Kamen as a codename.

Selene was the first to emerge. Even Ranma had to admit she looked stunning in her flowing silver dress that seemed to sparkle with light. Endymion, once he recovered himself, nodded once to Ranma before leaving with the Princess. Ranma smiled at the couple and wished them luck. Not long after, the door of the Queen's secretary's room opened. Ranma's jaw dropped.

Yuka wore a black, silver, and purple dress. The colors complimented each other in a spectacular way, also highlighting her sleek fur and dazzling eyes. The dress was a custom cut, allowing her two tails to flick behind her nervously. The neckline plunged down, but it remained modest with only a slight hint of cleavage. It hugged her upper body perfectly before it began to wave out below her waist. The dress stopped halfway between the knees and ankle, showing off her crystal high-heels. She wore a silver necklace, the amulet resting just above her breast. The amulet was embossed with an intricate design, but in the center rested a perfect cut amethyst the same color as her eyes. Two bracelets completed the outfit, also silver and encrusted with amethysts.

Noticing Ranma's reaction, Yuka nervously smiled, "Like it?"

Ranma pulled himself together. "It's beautiful." He smiled at her and held out his left arm. Yuka beamed and hooked her arm in his. From Ranma, anything more than 'it's nice' is a compliment of the ages. They moved towards the ballroom.

As they walked, Yuka grinned at him, "So how many did you promise to dance with?"

Ranma groaned, "First Venus asked, then Hotaru, followed by Setsuna, Jupiter, and finally the Queen herself. Those are the only promised ones, but one too many of those damn councilwomen have been eyeing me lately."

Yuka shook her head. "Busy night for you then?"

They entered the hall before the ballroom. "I hope not. Promise me you'll keep me on the floor and away from them?"

"And miss all of that? Not a chance," Yuka gave an irritating smirk.

Ranma groaned again, "But Yuka-_chan_, I agreed to go with you to keep them away. Why can't you be a normal girl and get all jealous, forcing me to only dance with you?"

They approached the spokeswoman. "Because, Ranma-_kun_, I still haven't gotten you back for that stunt you did in the bathroom… and hot-spring for that matter."

Ranma smirked. He said to the announcer, "Nizomi Yuka, secretary of the Queen. Uzuki-Saotome Ranma, Senshi of Nemesis."

The woman gasped at the couple before composing herself enough to announce them. It didn't matter really; no one inside ever really listened to the names of the people entering. They passed the woman and continued into the room.

The room looked very different than from what Ranma remembered, despite using it the day before. He was used to empty, echoing walls with wide, open spaces. Now, a large, live band rested to one side, tables had been set up in the outer edges, and the room was filling up. The lively attitude seemed to intrude on the peaceful solitude the room had brought to Ranma during his time with Crystal.

Speaking of the Queen, Ranma noticed that she had yet to enter. However, he did see Princess Serenity and 'Tuxedo Kamen' already on the floor dancing. He winked at the man when he thought he saw eye contact.

Ranma looked from the tables to the dance floor, trying to decide which to do first. Yuka answered for him as she guided him into position on the floor.

The duo quickly melded in with the rest of the people. Despite his slight handicap, Ranma moved gracefully enough to not look strange. Yuka took his disabled limb into stride as she glided along the floor, his left hand gripped firmly in her right. She was surprised at his skill on the floor and wondered where he had learned to dance; he managed the two handed dances flawlessly.

Slowly, the rest of the guests trickled in, but Ranma noticed that the Queen still wasn't there. He dismissed it, however, and enjoyed himself as he danced with the Nekomata. After the fourth song, Yuka asked for a break. Just as he feared, as soon as Ranma sat down at one of the tables a small horde of women approached him asking for dances. Nekomata hid her giggles of amusement as Ranma was whisked away.

Time seemed to fly as Ranma danced with Hotaru, then Setsuna, then Venus, then some person he had never seen before, then a councilwoman, then Jupiter, then Hotaru again. He had almost no say in the matter and simply enjoyed what he could. He responded to their questions the best he could as he tried to focus.

As the second dance with Hotaru wound down, Ranma sighed in relief. The others seemed satisfied. The song ended with Hotaru in a dip, and Ranma grinned down at her as he supported her with his left hand. Ranma lifted her up and gave her a little twirl, her long, black hair swishing, before he released her and tried to get back to Yuka. He didn't take three steps before his ears caught the spokeswoman announcing a late guest.

"Introducing Queen Crystal Serenity IV, ruler of the Moon Kingdom."

Ranma turned just in time to see the woman stroll in with a commanding presence. She wore the most stunning white dress he had ever seen. The crowd quieted as they watched her. Her elegant steps moved with purpose, heading straight for her target. Ranma looked caught like a deer in headlights.

The Queen stopped just before the only male Senshi and curtsied. Ranma did a formal bow back. He reached out and took her right hand. In return, she took his right hand. Ranma gulped at the unexpectedness of it but didn't complain. The crowd moved away, giving them the whole dance floor, as the music started.

The two moved flawlessly, with equal grace. Ranma didn't disappoint as he matched each step as fluidly as she did. The song was only moderately fast, but they still managed to have a good time with twirls, dips, and fancy footwork. Despite their enjoyment, they kept straight faces, only looking in each other's eyes.

Ranma managed to look like he had been doing it for years as he managed each movement with only his left hand. Crystal, in return, guided his right hand in certain parts, still managing to make it look natural. When the song reached its pinnacle, Ranma had an idea. He located Kresh, standing off to the side of the room with Marx, and took a small bit of magic.

They continued the dance and Ranma felt his favorite part coming up. The end was almost there. Ranma spun the Queen out, her silver hair whipping around with her. He channeled Kresh's magic into his mouth. Ranma tugged the woman back firmly, spiraling her towards him. Just before collision, Crystal stopped her spinning, her face only inches from Ranma's. She arched an elegant eye brow right when the song finished.

Between Ranma's teeth was a special rose. The petals were a dark purple, the color of Crystal's eyes, with the stem of silver matching her hair. As the crowd began to applause the performance, Ranma released the Queen's hand and pulled out the rose. He presented it to her with a sheepish grin. Crystal couldn't help but chime her gentle laugh and accept the rose. She twirled it between her fingers before placing it behind her ear, the thorn-less stem fitting perfectly.

Ranma bowed to her again, to which she curtsied, and they both smiled. They faced the cheering crowd and did it again. Ranma smiled at the Queen once again before finally returning to Yuka's table. The Queen herself simply retreated to the throne that had been installed in the room and watched over the remaining proceedings.

Yuka gaped at Ranma when he sat down. "Is _that_ where you learned to dance?"

Ranma smirked at her, "Of course." He stood up again and offered his hand. Yuka shook her head in amazement before accepting. They returned to the dance floor just as the others got back into position.

Ranma and Yuka danced for another hour, enjoying each other's presence as they exchanged friendly banter. They were breathing hard and had wide grins as another song reached its end. Just then, Ranma felt something. He faced towards the entrance and whispered just loud enough for Yuka to hear, "She's here…"

Before the woman could ask who, the spokeswoman entered. She looked slightly confused as she announced, "Introducing… Nemesis."

The planet herself entered. She still wore her same dress, the color of her sky, but her mere presence seemed to have changed for the occasion. She walked boldly into the room and locked her black eyes on Ranma's. There were a few whispers as she approached her Senshi and stopped rather close to him.

"May I have this dance?" Yuka got the hint and grinned at _another_ woman asking Ranma for a dance. She stealthily retreated back to the tables, watching the two with her purple, slitted eyes.

Ranma bowed his head to Nemesis and held out his hand. A slow song started playing. Nemesis took the hand and placed it on her slim waist. She smiled at Ranma's confused look and took his right hand in her left, holding it out as she stepped in close. Nemesis sighed in contentment as she rested her head on Ranma's chest, swaying in the slow beats.

"What are you doing here?" Ranma muttered to her softly.

Nemesis smiled, "I can't let you have all this fun without me, can I?"

Ranma chuckled faintly, and she could feel his chest rumbling. "No, I guess not."

After a moment of silence, Nemesis asked him, "So what trouble have you got in since I've been gone?"

"Nothing much; I just got two girls pregnant, that's all."

Nemesis snorted with laugher, it being slightly muffled against his chest. "Yeah, right. Why don't you just knock me up while you're at it?"

Ranma smirked down at her, "Come in my room tonight, and I'll see what I can do."

Nemesis lifted her head enough to smirk back at him. "Oh Ranma, I do think I've corrupted little old you."

Ranma sighed dramatically, "Unfortunate, isn't it?"

The woman kept her smirk, "Not in my prospective. If I could just get you're bite to back your bark, then I would be one happy woman."

"Keep dreaming, you crazy, perverted planet."

Ranma almost yelped when Nemesis reached down and pinched his bum. "Don't forget I'm _your_ crazy, perverted planet."

"Yes, Mother," Ranma replied like a reprimanded child.

Nemesis huffed, "I do believe you're getting too good at this. I might have to up the ante."

"If I wake up and you're lying next to me naked, you _will_ regret it," Ranma replied seriously.

"Hey, I never implied anything like that," she muttered back to him. Her look turned sly, "But if you're thinking it…"

Ranma snorted, "Nice try."

She sighed, "Oh Ranma, what have I done to you?"

Ranma just smirked as they spun in a slow circle. The song began wrapping up. More seriously, Nemesis asked, "What happened between you and Crystal at the end of your fight?"

"I killed the rest of my demons," Ranma answered enigmatically, obviously not literal. Nemesis felt she understood what he meant.

When the last beats died out, they broke apart. Nemesis said goodbye to her Senshi before she teleported out of the room.

Ranma returned to his seat with Yuka. She raised an eyebrow at him. Ranma just shrugged. He found drinks at the table and began to down them. After his seventh cup, Ranma suddenly said, "I miss Mary."

Yuka looked up at him, seeing him staring off into space. She put a hand on his shoulder. "Me too."

Ranma didn't respond. He looked up, however, when a new person approached the table. A woman with curly black hair and a short, orange and black dress stood there. She was smiling at Ranma.

Yuka's nose twitched when she caught something strange. Ranma himself unconsciously shivered when he saw the woman. He frowned, however, when he saw the crescent moon on her forehead. As far as he knew, there was no other royalty.

The woman curtsied and asked, "May I have a dance with you?" Ranma glanced at Yuka before he shrugged and stood. He held out his arm and led her to the floor.

As they danced, Luna glanced at Yuka before asking, "So you like cats, huh?"

"Hate em."

XXXX

A month after the ball, Ranma was sweating as he sprinted down another hall. The girls behind him were almost screaming as they chased him. Senshi, councilwomen, civilians, guards, and who knows who else scrambled after him.

Ranma glanced back before redoubling his efforts to escape. _Why does this always happen to me?_

"Ranma, come back!"

"I love you, Ranma!"

"I'll share, I swear!"

Ranma bolted down another hallway and cursed when he saw it was a dead end. Before the girls could turn the corner, he opened the far door and ran inside, closing the door behind him.

He didn't know how it started, but all that mattered was that it was happening again with a whole new twist. Everything had seemed normal, but one day, just after an afternoon training, Ranma found himself confronted by a group of girls. They had broken into a mass of questions and comments that he couldn't put together, but what he did hear was enough to send him sprinting the other direction. They had said things likes "marry," "babies," and "share." He had no idea what it meant, but he did know that they were suddenly as rabid as his old fiancées.

Ever since that day he constantly had someone following him, watching him practice, trying to sneak into his bed. Ranma had taken too magically locking the door to his room. More than once, however, he had fallen prey to a trigger activated teleportation spell that ended with him in some form of imprisonment in some girl's room. Only all of his skill, instinct, and power had gotten him out of those sticky situations.

Relieved that he didn't hear the girls following, Ranma decided to take a look around the room. What he saw made him stop dead.

Queen Serenity stood before him, clad only in a pair of white, lacy panties. She had her arms crossed over her breast as she watched him with a raised eyebrow.

Ranma made sure that his eyes stayed only on her eyes and not a millimeter lower. "Uh…" he started intelligently.

Crystal didn't seem to mind. "The girl's chasing you again?" Ranma could only nod dumbly, but his eyes remained locked on hers. Ranma felt extremely awkward when silence followed that. Serenity once again took control. "So, do you want to watch me finish dressing or will you turn around?"

"AH!" Ranma quickly spun around, facing the door. He heard the Queen humming as she finished dressing. He heard the sound of cloth rustling before she said that she was decent. He was reluctant to turn around, but he did so.

Crystal stood before him in her regular, flowing, white dress. She moved over to her bed and sat down. She didn't seem bothered by the disturbance. After regarding the silent martial artists, she said, "Do you know why they are chasing you?" Ranma slowly shook his head. She sighed, "That would be my fault."

"What?" Ranma asked. His eyes still didn't stray from hers. He wasn't taking any chances.

Crystal sighed as she folded her arms across her lap. "Strength is a hard thing to come by. In your case, you are the very image of it. Not only that, you also have a certain compassion that seems to draw people in – outside of fighting of course. Because of those two traits, you had drawn in quite a few suitors. When a few presented themselves to me, I informed them that you qualified for the laws of polygamy."

Ranma's eyes bulged. "What?"

"With the decline of men due to the stupidity of my people, I was forced to pass a law stating that a man could have more than wife. The purpose was simply for spreading his seed. As a matter of fact, for a strong man, it was almost expected. When those girls found out that you qualified, they agreed on sharing you."

Ranma sighed, the faces of all the girls who had been chasing him running through his mind. "And if I don't like any of them like that?" This sounded strangely similar to the amazons, even if it had a slight difference.

Crystal shrugged, "They can't force you, but they certainly can try. You could choose only one girl if you want; it's your choice, but even I encourage you to at least try to take more." Ranma blinked at that. That was certainly new.

"Is there anyway of getting them to stop chasing me?" Ranma asked.

Crystal blinked. "Have you tried asking them to stop?"

"W-Would that actually work?"

Crystal seemed genuinely confused. "What do you mean? If you tell a girl that you don't want to be with them, they will understand. What else would they do?"

Ranma sighed, "Try to kill any obstacles in the way of my affections to them, maybe?"

"Where did you ever hear a thing like that?" Queen Serenity asked shocked.

Ranma grunted, "I lived it for two years."

"I'm sorry, Ranma. I didn't mean for this to happen."

Ranma just shrugged, "It's okay; it just means I'm used to it now. I really hope that asking them to stop works."

Crystal nodded, "It will, and by the off-chance it doesn't, I will put an end to it."

Ranma thanked her and left her room. As soon as he closed the door, he let out a breath of relief. She was so different compared to other girls. Sure, living over 300 years ought to do that to a person, but she was something else – so easy to talk to, understanding, and for some reason didn't seem to mind if Ranma saw her naked. The last thought Ranma cleared from his head even before it fully formed.

When Ranma reached his room, he scanned the door knob and anything else that could be hiding spells. Finding everything okay, he turned it and entered the room. Inside, he wasn't surprised to see Nemesis lying on his bed, waiting for him. She sat up when she saw him.

"So, ready to test out this bed? Since this room is named after me, we might as well see if it's equipped properly."

Ranma rolled his eyes. "Not in the mood right out."

"You're a guy; you're always in the mood," Nemesis pushed, teasingly.

Ranma ignored her as he pulled out his scythe and dropped it into the pile of weapons he and Kresh had made. He sighed as he sat down next to the woman. Curious, Ranma glanced at her through the corner of his eye. "I'm just wondering… Did you choose that form or did it just happen or…?"

Nemesis smiled, "I chose it. The body is of my own design, easy enough since I've designed every other body that grows on me. The color details, obviously, are my choice to show my attunement with nature. I wanted to look as similar as possible to things that are natural to me, like my sky, my trees, ect."

Ranma raised an eyebrow, "I guess I can see that, but what about your purple grass? That's one of the most prominent things natural only to Nemesis. Was it not worthy enough or something?"

Nemesis grinned wickedly. She slowly reached up to the straps of her dress. Ranma was wary when she slipped her fingers under the light green material. Sensually, the woman slipped the straps over her shoulders. Ranma was ready to bolt, or stop her, when she started to peel the dress off, showing her creamy flesh. It exposed the tops of her breast. Ranma tensed, ready to do something. Suddenly, there was a flash of purple.

Ranma let out a sigh of relief when Nemesis stopped her strip. He hesitantly looked and saw that she wore a purple bra that matched the color of the grass. She smirked at him and slipped her dress back on.

"Oh…"

* * *

_(1) Okay, this is really confusing. I can't seem to explain it better than this, and I'm not willing to take it out of the story. If you don't understand it, and I won't blame you, ignore it. It doesn't really matter that much. It's just part of what's what, an explanation that the story presents itself with. If you're confused about the 'who' of Nemesis, she is a human projection of the planet. All of the planets have a 'presence' or 'personality.' Making a living body for themselves is simple when you are responsible for making every other living thing on the planet._

_(2) This isn't a super-powered Ranma moment. Hotaru was tired from casting so many spells before hand when she was working with Pluto. She didn't have enough energy to keep the wall up._

_(3) Alright, this note can be before or after the fight, but I'll just leave it there. The way Ranma fights with magic _is _in fact different than the other Senshi's. He feels and understands what is going on from magic's similarity to ki and from the training done by Adafild. _

_(4) Alright, the fight between Ranma and Kresh went from Sailor Moon style to Demonata style. In Demonata, magic is almost limitless in use if there is power supporting it. The power is minimal in the air, and gets progressively weaker in planets/stars during the fourth book: BEC (and the Moon Kingdom is 1000 years before BEC). The two real sources of magic are lodestones (they come later) and demonata as they emit the stuff into the air. Of course, there are a few exceptions when it comes to Magicians, the Kah-Gash, and sacrificial magic, but that is for later notes._

* * *

**Announcements:**

Ranma's power: untransformed (as of the pull) he can beat all of the Senshi at once. With transformed Ryu, Ranma is roughly tied in ability. However, Ranma can last longer and thus can beat him, as seen in last chapter's fight. He cannot beat the Queen (she is not a Senshi). He could beat anyone in the combat squad except for Hi, Makusu, or Plague. He is roughly tied with Athena. Ranma is only slightly stronger than Lee and Marx. Kresh is slightly weaker than Ranma physically, but he has magic to equalize it. Transformed, Ranma can beat the Queen by herself. He could not beat all of the combat squad if they were together (minus Hi). He is weaker than Hi by a long shot. Equal to Kresh if Kresh takes magic from the planet. For a secret from the sequel, he is ridiculously weaker than Sir Anquish and the other demon masters, including Madam Marietta.

To address some fans concern about Ranma pulling new power out of his ass to win the final fight at the end of Resurrection, know this: there are no more power ups after him becoming a Senshi. His power stated above is his power, no more, no less. I can't tell more than that. However, I can say he's not a magician. I'll stick with only one alive at a time, and Grubbs is still alive at the time, even if he isn't part of the story.

Crazy Fact I found: the word Nemesis is derived from the Greek Goddess of Vengeance. I randomly found this in the middle of the Ranma/Kresh fight. I thought it funny how I made Nemesis a female char in this once I found that out (to me, Nemesis always sounded like a guy's name until I saw the goddess). Even funnier, the Greek Nemesis is the granddaughter of Chaos, and in my story, Nemesis is the planet of chaos. This is unintentional but very suiting in my opinion.

Another Crazy Fact: I just found out that there was already a planet Nemesis in the Sailor Moon universe… Well, um… That certainly makes me look less original. WTF is with the Black Moon Clan stealin' mah planet? No worries, however, as I have adapted to this unfortunate occurrence.

A change: originally, this chapter included Ranma getting together with the three girls. However, I decided to post-pone the pairings until Resurrection due to certain scenes I would like in that story. To make up for it, I added that last scene in (attempted and probably failed) humor.

Possible Plot Hole: Why are the outers training with Ranma? They need to be protecting the Moon Kingdom from invasions ESPECIALLY with the threat of the Dark Moon!

_That will be explained next chapter._

Quick Poll: I was thinking of adding a brief interlude for next chapter. It will be about Hera's (Queen Serenity II) rise to power. In my opinion, it will be interesting. It'll include the death of all the male Senshi, the betrayal of Ryu, Marx's past, and things like that.

(1) Yes, interlude.

(0) No interlude; start the war!

Goodbye, Ryu. I'll miss you. :( Thank you for your role in developing Ranma's character for this story.

* * *

Sub-Zero879: Hey, Churro. That's an awesome hat you got there.

Churro: Oh? Thanks.

Sub-Zero879: So, ummm I got this new chapter out…

Churro: Yeah, I saw you working on it. It's only been like three weeks. It's gotta be like so short. I'll get right on it.

Sub-Zero879: Yeah… short.

Churro: …

Churro: …

Churro: …

Churro: HOLY FUCKING SHIT! WTF IS THIS 46,000 WORD BULLSHIT! Are whole fucking stories usually that long?

Sub-Zero879: Uhh… Heh… Well, I'll let you get right on it then. Bye!

* * *

Alright folks, AN here. I hope this chapter makes up for all the darkness of the last two. Hell, I can't believe that this is still chapter 3. Story was supposed to go: Prologue, training, pre-war, war. Four chapters -_-. Chapter three is now 85,000 words. Dear gawd.

As that suggests, next chapter is the war. I'm looking at my notes for it, and I'm happy with it even though it doesn't exactly follow the real SM ending. But then again, why would you read this if it was just a retelling of SM with an added char?

Well, folks, get ready to strap on your Anti-Dark Suits™. Things are going down with guns blazing. There will be so much death that I can't even begin to honor all of my fallen characters.

* * *

_KACHU TENSHIN AMAGURIKEN_

_HIRYU SHOTEN HA_

_BAKUSAI TENKETSU_

_MOKO TAKABISHA_

_SHADOW DANCE_

_SHADOW DRAGON_

_SILENCE GLAIVE SURPRISE_

_SILENCE WALL_

_FUBUKI SOUSOU_

_CHAOS BOLT_

_ERIS ASCENSION_

_DEEP SUBMERGE_

_SHABON SPRAY_

_DEATH REBORN REVOLUTION_

_REAPER'S HARROWING_

_PANDAEMONIUM_


	6. Casting The Die

Reviews:

**Lord Edric:** oh, um… Well… You see… I did NOT completely forget about that move. No way. Uh-uh! I was just… uh… saving it… for the sequel. Yeah, that's it. I'm saving it for the sequel and now you ruined it. Geeze thanks a lot.

**billy13579:** TY. However, I can't put people onto a scale like that. Too much of this has to do with 'specialties.' People are better than others in different areas. If I tried really hard I could maybe make some epic chart showing power while taking in account of specialties, but that would be so much work and effort that I don't think it's worth it. You should be able to see what I mean this chapter, especially since I shoot my last 'power' ratings into nothingness.

* * *

Pre-chapter AN: Anyone who reads the entire bottom notes will not only be my hero, but they will also be able to find out several clues from the sequel. GL to anyone who is _that_ daring.

**Credit: **I feel like I must say this since I found out. After finding and rereading, I realized that the story Nekomoon ½ was my inspiration for this. If you read that story's one chapter and compare it with this you'll see the similarities (that I didn't even notice until I found that story again. And I thought I was being so original -_-).

* * *

Nemesis ½: Banishment - Casting The Die

* * *

The room was dark. The sickening stench of blood and rot permeated through the air. Grunts, squeals, shrieks, and other inhuman sounds were heard throughout the room. Suddenly, in the center, a woman's voice was heard. Her voice was cold, emotionless, but it was quick. She chanted up a fury, showing experience in the art.

As she chanted, magic began to bleed through the room. Already heavy from the dozens of demons, the magic swept through like a wave over a puddle. The animalistic sounds grew faster and louder, eager for what was to come.

Suddenly, a blue light blazed into the room. The demons squealed in pain at the light. In the center of the room, surrounded by the demons, a woman in midnight black armor kneeled before an alter. On the alter was a burly demon, vaguely in the shape of a man. It was almost like a tiger, complete with orange fur and stripes. We'll call him Tony.

'Tony' struggled against an invisible bondage. His arms were pressed against his side, and his legs seemingly bound together. His head thrashed violently as he yowled and roared. He didn't seem in pain, but by his frantic movements his fear was obvious. "What is the meaning of this, Metaria?"

The woman continued her chanting, ignoring Tony's question. Around the alter was a pentagram etched in blood. At the end of each of the tips of the star stood another demon. The five demons were different than the others in the room. Magic radiated from them in powerful currents.

Two of them were black, shadowed figures, but both of their backs held obvious blood red tattoos. The tattoos formed intricate designs all across their entire backs. Although each was one flowing pattern, the tattoos were segmented to represent dominated groups. A third demon was like a pig molded from fat. The whitish globs, covered in a blackish ooze, formed slabs almost like a snowman. The last two demons were still in the dark on the other side of the alter, away from the blue light.

As Metaria continued her chanting, growing even quicker in pace, the five demon masters began to channel their power into the alter. Tony began thrashing harder, finally in pain. The orb of blue light in front of Metaria suddenly turned red. The room took on the hellish glow. The orb looked like a drop of blood suspended in the air. Screaming her words now, Metaria thrust herself to a standing position and shoved her hand forward.

The bloody orb moved by command. It shot into Tony, whose roars of agony had been also growing louder. The moment the orb made contact, Tony went still. Suddenly, he exploded. Gore flew in all directions, splattering the floor and the six closest occupants. The room plunged back into darkness.

All was silent for a moment. Far away, in the corner of the room, a grunt was heard. Suddenly, a horrifying wail was heard followed by a sickening ripping sound. Above the alter, a black and molten red portal opened. Blood seemed to stream like a waterfall from the bottom. The portal was suspended, the wailing continuing for as long as it was open. A hand reached through the portal.

The hand was blood red. The fingers were clumped together like a bad playdough creation. Not long after, the rest of the form followed.

The figure had eight mangled arms. Its face was horrible mess of shredded, stained-red skin. His eyes were orbs of blood with black pupils. Blood oozed from cuts all over its body. In its chest, where its heart should be, there was a jagged hole. Inside the hole, various hissing snakes could be seen and heard. Each one was fatally poisonous. Where its legs should be, scraps of sinew hung. The shredded and mangled parts collected the dripping blood before finally releasing the liquid like a hellish rain. Without legs, the figure hovered above the ground. The longest strip of flesh hanging was around two inches above the blood stained floor.

The face seemed etched in a permanent sorrow. In a slow, mournful voice, it asked, "Which of you has released me from my unfortunate banishment?"

Metaria folded her arms, a wicked grin spreading. "Welcome back to the living, Lord Loss. I have summoned you."

Lord Loss moved himself closer to her, hovering lower until his hanging scraps dragged on the ground, collecting grime and muck. "I have not seen you before… Who are you?"

"I have no real name. There is, however, a title that you can understand. I am, to put it simply, Evil."

Lord Loss circled the woman, eyeing her pitifully. "My, my. Such a bold claim. I have heard it before. The incarnates, I mean. So far I have met Rage, Lust, Death, another Lust, Darkness, yet another Death, and now Evil. All of the others have been slain by my hand. What proof do you have?"

Metaria unfolded her arms. She gripped her breastplate and ripped it off in one motion. Her flesh was exposed in the burning red light. Lord Loss jerked to a stop. He eyed her chest carefully, taking in the marks there. Five emblems burned into her flesh, still glowing with molten rage and flowed across each other like flaming rivers.

Lord Loss frowned like one might do at a funeral when hearing the corpse had yet to arrive. "You are the master of five demon masters… Oh yes, you can back your claim."

Metaria placed her breastplate back on, using magic to fix it into place. "Six now, actually." Lord Loss narrowed his eyes. "Unless…"

Lord Loss laughed, the sound coming like a sob. "Oh, I get to barter with Evil now?"

"Please, call me Queen Metaria," she waved off. "You see, Lord Loss, you have something that others don't. You have an ability that I cannot find anywhere else. It is for that reason only that I have removed your banishment. If you use that ability on only seven people, I will let you return to your pitiful palace."

Lord Loss's eyes seemed to flash with anger before they melted back into their eternal sorrow. "Be careful, Queen Metaria, with whom you trifle with. You have power, great power, but you can be defeated." He paused for a moment, considering. "I agree to this under one condition: the human race must not become extinct as a result."

Magic flared from Metaria, overwhelming the occupants. The demonata surrounding them scuttled around, shrieking in fear. "You are in no position to place conditions. I shall exterminate the filthy humans and claim my place in this galaxy. You have but one use to me. Otherwise, you would be splattered across the floor right now. Do you accept?"

Lord Loss was silent. Blood leaked from his eyes like tears. "Very well then. Show me these seven."

Metaria broke into a grin that showed her true nature. She spun around on one foot and marched towards the door, the demonata scrambling away frantically. Lord Loss solemnly followed her. The five other demon masters watched them go before opening portals and vanishing. Everything was going perfectly.

One demon master, however, had yet to step into his portal. Sir Anquish narrowed his beady, coal black eyes at the exit. His sharpened arm bones pumped in and out of his arms like pistons. After a moment, the dripping bones both submerged into his fatty stubs. He grinned his crooked smile, the mouth literally stretching up one side of his face. In a flash, he left through his own portal.

XXXX

Ranma slipped off his bed silently. He let his tattoo from Mary light up, but he kept the blue light dull to keep away prying eyes. A quick check told him it was one hour before sunrise. He severed the magic holding it, letting darkness consume the room once again. He dressed quickly and approached the balcony. When he reached it, he turned around suddenly.

Kresh still lay in his spot, but his green eyes with blue pupils were watching Ranma. Ranma put a finger up to his mouth, signaling silence. He whispered, "Don't let the others know. I'll see you at practice."

"Yes, Lord Ranma," Kresh replied back, his mouth not moving but still sounding like he spoke. Ranma had figured the telepathic link would be like voices inside his head, but it didn't really seem any different than regular speaking. Kresh sighed when his master turned invisible and leaped off the balcony; no matter how many times Kresh told him not to, his master always seemed to explain himself.

Ranma landed in the courtyard softly. He didn't need to check to see if the guards had seen him. He jogged quietly towards the palace's main entrance. As he passed the two guards standing on each side of the large double-door, he made faces at them. Once he got past them, he continued down the hall.

Still under the Umisenken, Ranma reached the door before the throne room. Two elite royal guards stood before it. The girls looked weary from their night watch and were eager for the approaching sunrise. Ranma just smirked to himself before bypassing them. The door behind them opened silently with their special hinges. Ranma closed it behind him without them knowing a thing.

Once inside, Ranma glanced up at the throne. He wasn't too surprised to see Crystal already up. A very special event was planned for that day, after all. However, Ranma was surprised to see Setsuna also with the Queen, talking in a whispered voice. He moved closer to hear them.

"…nd from what I can tell, the Dark Moon will not attack soon. The Chaos at the palace has become too hard to see through, covering whole wings at times. Even so, I can see enough that the Dark Moon will not attack today nor tomorrow nor the rest of this week. After that, things get progressively too chaotic for me to make accurate predictions," Setsuna rounded up.

Crystal nodded, accepting the monthly report. "Thank you, Time Keeper. You may now close the gates until next month. Don't forget about today, however. We are all curious to see this."

Setsuna winced. "I'm not curious, Serenity-sama. I've already seen the results."

"Then I'll place 1,000 Stardust on me winning," Ranma said, seemingly from nowhere. He dropped his technique, his body appearing on the steps before the throne. He was sitting on them cross-legged and grinning.

Setsuna seemed surprised, but she quickly schooled her expression. Queen Serenity merely raised an eyebrow at Ranma's appearance. Crystal asked, "Oh? And on which bet? The officials in charge have gotten their facts down. The rates for you winning as transformed are twenty-five to one. You wouldn't exactly be raking in the Stardust with odds like that."

Ranma smirked. "And the rates for me untransformed are fifty/fifty. I have no idea why though. Good as they are, my little Princesses still can't beat their old trainer."

Setsuna groaned, "It's going to be a massacre. Transformed, not transformed, I've seen all of them."

The two ignored her. "What about the side bets?" Crystal asked. "I personally put 700 on you only taking five hits before you win."

Ranma laughed. "Looks like I'll have another restriction. Alright, so I'll make sure to take only five hits before I win _along with_ defeating two Senshi in the first ten seconds."

Crystal raised an eyebrow. "That confident even while untransformed? Alright then, I'll put another 250 on you winning in the first ten seconds. The rates on that are one to seven if you're untransformed."

"I really got to know how they are getting these rates," Ranma muttered, shaking his head. Setsuna groaned again, dreading the future she had already seen under the orders of Crystal. Ranma turned to look back at her, "Oh come on, Setsuna. We already agreed that Crystal is going to be there as well. This will be a fair fight."

Setsuna glanced at the woman before looking back at Ranma. "It doesn't matter if I have full control over my Time abilities."

Ranma rolled his eyes and stood up. "Alright, Miss Optimistic. How about we go and have breakfast right after you close the gates?"

Setsuna grew brighter at that, but the dread was still there. She vanished without a sound nor light.

Ranma looked at the spot she had stood at before he glanced up at Crystal. "Hungry?"

"I'll eat with the winnings of those two bets," she answered smoothly.

Ranma shrugged, "Suit yourself." Setsuna appeared back in the room. Together, they left the throne room.

Ranma sat across from Setsuna in the royal dining room. The early morning servants rushed to meet their requests. As a servant ran past, Ranma grabbed the man and pulled him close. "I want you to bring the food five plates at a time." The man nodded nervously and quickly ran off when Ranma released him.

Setsuna raised an eyebrow when Ranma turned back to her. He shrugged. "If the barracks are going to decide to close their mess hall until seven, then I am going to at least get a satisfactory amount of food in here."

"That's true, I guess," Setsuna acknowledged. Suddenly, when the man serving drinks came close enough, Setsuna whipped around and pulled him close. She whispered something to him and let him go. The man nodded frantically and rushed from the room.

Ranma chuckled, "Not very lady-like of you."

Setsuna rolled her eyes. "And a gentleman such as yourself has nothing to do with it, I'm sure."

Ranma grinned shamelessly as he leaned back, propping his chair on two legs and balancing it unconsciously. "Merely getting you to see the finer, less formal points in life."

Setsuna smiled at him in amusement. She then sighed and slouched forward, propping her head up with her elbow on the table. "I do _not_ want to do this."

Ranma raised an eyebrow at the once 'proper' Senshi's behavior. "I wasn't _that_ bad at training you, was I? I thought I had done fairly well…"

Setsuna shook her head, the action looking strange as her head was still in her hand. "It's not that… While you trained us, somehow you took everything we did as training for yourself. Our physical abilities could never reach yours, and all of our spars have taught you the most efficient way of escaping our spells and traps."

Ranma shrugged his large shoulders before he snapped his chair back on four legs. "But I also taught you how to run me down, wear out my energy. I mean, yeah I'm going to win since I put money down on myself, obviously, but there have been several times when you got close to beating me… right?"

Setsuna snorted, "Yeah, like after you spar with Kresh, or Marx, or are exhausted from training yourself. The only time we can hit you is when your caught off-guard, which almost never happens."

The door opened and servants poured in, bringing with them a dozen merciful plates of food. Ranma dug in almost instantly, clearing his plates almost as fast as the servants set them down. Setsuna, as usual, ate at a measured pace, enjoying her food. When Ranma finished his food, he motioned for more from a servant. The servant looked shocked senseless at what he had just seen. He had just set down the fifth plate and wasn't even out of the room yet. He nodded once and scurried back into the kitchen.

Ranma patted his stomach with a content grin. He looked back at Setsuna and smirked when he saw her pace increasing. Breaking the rigid Plutoian out of her orderly and controlled mindset had been a personal game of his ever since first bringing her to the military mess halls for a _real_ meal. So far, she hadn't opposed any of his social norm breaking customs.

Ranma had noticed a large difference in the Senshi. She had always been tense before, locked in the never-ending formality of being a Princess, Senshi, and Time Keeper. Through his influence, she had slowly relaxed and allowed herself to live a double life. On one side, there was the strict Senshi Pluto that the world saw and needed to see, and on the other side was Setsuna, a woman and a friend of Ranma's, who only a small few saw.

Once Setsuna finished her plates, she looked up and saw Ranma's smile. She smiled back at him, but looked confused. "Is there something on my face?"

Ranma shook his head. "If there was, I wouldn't tell you." He studied her for a moment longer. "Setsuna, I've been wondering… How old are you? I mean, you've been Senshi for only a couple of days longer than me, but I know you've had to have been an apprentice for much longer."

In the Moon Kingdom, women didn't care who knew their age. When you could live for hundreds, even thousands, of years, there was no reason really to hide it. "I'm fairly young, actually. Only 136. I was an apprentice for over one hundred of those. I don't think it matters, really. I most likely won't be a Senshi for another year."

Setsuna was also the only Senshi who didn't hold false views of success over the Dark Moon. Although Ranma was of agreement with her, he didn't like seeing such hopelessness. Or maybe it was acceptance. A look into her crimson eyes reminded him of her mother, whom he had all but killed himself.

"Eh, don't give your hopes up. A couple of you might survive. Don't forget you've got me, and I've got power-ups," he smiled cockily at her.

Setsuna didn't take the bait. She frowned. "Ranma, something's been troubling me. You're one of eight, we know that, and you've become a Senshi which makes you stronger than any of them. But, what stops them from having advantages like that as well?" Ranma frowned at her implications. "What if this Metaria makes each of them into demon masters and they each bring armies with them?"

Ranma shrugged. "I hear you were trained to wipe out armies _and_ demons. There you go; two things in one. That should be no problem for you."

Setsuna folded her hands, sitting up straight. "Ranma, this is serious. You know that's not what I meant."

"What do you want me to do?" Ranma snapped. "I need more time to train you, and with you Outers being called off to watch the borders, what little time we do have is being picked apart. I'm training you the best I can! What else would you have me do? Do you think I haven't thought of this already?"

Setsuna didn't flinch at his tone. However, she remained silent. The servers came out again carrying their numerous meals.

Ranma sighed once the servants were done. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell… It's just, I've known about the possibilities before I even agreed to help you guys. I've been here for almost two years now, and I actually starting thinking of ways we could win. But, no matter what I think of, no matter how hard I try to train you guys, I just can't seem to find a way to win. While I train you, they are getting trained as well. Right now, each of you could beat them if they were as strong as when I first met them. However, after only a year, each of them had grown in strength by leaps and bounds. Now that it's been almost two since then…"

Setsuna stared down at her food, not really interested in eating. "So you were right then? It really is hopeless?"

"In all likelihood, yes." Silence followed. Once Ranma finished his food he tried to brighten the mood, "But hey, at least we can have fun today, right?"

Setsuna lost her composure as she sank back down again and groaned. "Ugh, I forgot about that."

XXXX

Senshi Uranus and Neptune were about to land. Ranma bolted down the palace halls, towards the exit. The horde of women behind him were sprinting, faster now that they had gotten some endurance from their constant pursuit. This time, Ranma was happy to see them there. As he ran, more and more began to join the ranks. Just before the grand hall, seven guards blocked the exit path.

Ranma grinned at the female roadblock and kept running. Right when he reached them, he slid down like a baseball runner and slipped between one woman's legs, winking at her. Once in the clear, Ranma rolled to his feet and ran down the hall.

Once he reached the courtyard, Ranma saw Senshi Venus waiting for him, her eyes hungry. Oh yes, everything was going perfect. He had to hurry, however, since the two Outers were about to land. Ranma jumped from the steps, launching in the air. He flew over the blond woman and landed behind her. He stopped and turned to face the masses that were approaching.

Almost twenty women gathered before him, screaming things about love, sharing, and babies. Ranma wondered if they actually thought he would take them all. He held a finger up, signaling that he was about to speak. They all fell silent in anticipation.

Ranma spoke slowly, making sure they all heard him clearly. "Ladies… It has been brought to my attention that each of you have… feelings for me, even going so far as to be willing to share amongst each other. Of you, I have selected the ones I would have as my wives. First, all of you who I have never met before and have never heard the name of, step to the side." A dozen women began screaming names at him. Ranma shook his head, "None of that now, I have made my selection."

Reluctantly, six of the guards, five civilians, and a councilwoman left the group, sending sad glances his way. Ranma faced the remaining women.

Senshi Venus, three councilwomen, a noble from Mars, and one guard remained before him. Ranma looked deep into each of their hopeful faces. Once he was sure to have made eye contact with all of them, he said, "My selection is… none of you." Gasps and shouts followed that. Ranma shrugged his shoulders and tried to speak over them. "All of you chased me around the palace, teleported and imprisoned me inside your rooms, and made it where I cannot even enter my own room without fear.

"Because of that, I find myself attracted to none of you. Your behavior reduced your chances to just about nothing. Please, find someone else to love and treat them better than this. Now, I must go." Ranma ignored their pleas as he turned and jumped up onto the courtyard wall. From there, he ran to the landing platforms.

Neptune and Uranus stepped off their drop-ship. Already transformed and bearing their weapons, they looked ready for action. They got no more than ten feet towards the palace before a body squeezed between them and wrapped her arms around each one's shoulders. "Hello, ladies. Ready to lose?"

The two women looked at the new comer and groaned. Ranma, in female form, grinned as she walked with them. "At least tell me you've been training in your absence."

"Yes, Ranma-Sensei," Neptune muttered in annoyance, looking away from the red-head.

Uranus smirked and snaked her arm around Ranma's slim waist, pulling her closer. "Keep this up and I'll give you some 'training'."

Neptune rolled her eyes before she wrapped her arm around Ranma's waist as well, gaining her own smirk, "Imagine all you could learn, Ranma-chan."

Ranma took some magic from the small amount his tattoo gave off and switched forms. "That's Ranma-sensei to you, Senshi Neptune," the now male Ranma chided, a grin still plastered on his face. It felt _good_ not having to worry about a horde of women suddenly jumping you. He never imagined getting rid of them could be so easy.

Neptune rolled her eyes and pulled her arm away. She delicately removed Ranma's lame arm from her shoulder and walked away from him, towards the palace. Uranus pulled herself away slowly. Ranma was surprised to feel her slide her hand across his back almost affectionately before the distance pulled her hand away. She turned and winked at him, "Offer still stands – in your female form of course."

Ranma shook his head, amused, still feeling her touch. "Get out of here before I start the fight early." Uranus just smirked before rushing to catch up with her lover.

Ranma watched the two go. He didn't turn around when he felt another presence. A form descended from the sky and landed next to him. Senshi Mars folder her wings and raised an eyebrow at him. "What was that about?"

Ranma shrugged, "I'm in a good mood. Besides, since I'm a guy I don't have to worry about them doing anything." Mars didn't question him as they walked over to their destination.

XXXX

Ranma and the eight other Senshi stood in a moderate sized arena. The entire training ground had been transformed into a stadium of sorts for the competition. Hundreds of observes filled the stands, from each of the ten planets. Queen Serenity stood next to Ranma, surrounded by heavy duty shields from Mercury and dozens of Ginzuisho induced ones.

Crystal spoke, "Today, we have gathered all of our Senshi in a test of strength!" The observers' stands were covered by thick shields to protect them from stray spells, but they could hear her voice easily. "As you know, the competition will take place between the Inner and Outer Guard Senshi verses their trainer, the Senshi of Nemesis, who had trained them for nearly two years now in order to gain a chance at life!

"Now," she turned to face the gathered Senshi. "I do not expect a clean fight, but there are to be no lethal blows. Now, enjoy yourself and may the best side win." Ranma smirked. "Ready? Begin!" A clock on a billboard that had been brought in began timing for the bets.

Ranma was gone the second it started. Although not transformed, he still had access to magic from Kresh. He began freezing the air right as he reached Venus. The woman was glaring at him, most likely still bitter from the rejection. She thrust out her chain at him, her chosen weapon. Ranma jumped over it. She tried to lash the chain upward, but Ranma was already upon her.

With all of his strength, combined with the speed of his charge, Ranma tried to crush her with one punch. To his surprise, he came in contact with an impulse energy shield surrounding her. Apparently, Mercury had supplied the entire team with shields. However, due to the raw force behind the hit, he shattered the shield, and his fist made contact with her face. Ranma leapt after her, not caring if she was knocked out or not.

Senshi Venus was still tumbling from the hit, her chain snagging her as she rolled, when Ranma caught her. He appeared on the other side of her and kicked her in the stomach. The woman instantly reversed in direction and flew through the air, making contact with the shields protecting the observers. Ranma flipped to the side right after the kick, dodging an expected lightning bolt and fire ball, before he shot off an apathetic Moko Takabisha at the downed Senshi.

Ranma was already engaging Senshi Jupiter before the blast even hit Venus. It had only taken seven seconds so far. Senshi Saturn protected Venus from the ki blast, but the woman was already unconscious.

A heavy mist started right after Ranma made his first contact with Jupiter. Ranma, still freezing the air with Kresh's magic, turned the mist into snowflakes as it formed. Jupiter had taken up Ranma's martial arts as her 'weapon', the only Senshi without one. It made no difference, however, when Ranma came down on her with a flurry of punches and kicks. "_AMAGURIKEN!"_ Ranma shouted, not wasting time for the full name.

Jupiter tried her best to dodge the attacks, but her shield broke after the forth hit and she was pummeled. She kept her guard up, however, and was still standing when it was over. Right before she could counter attack, Ranma help out his hand and yelled, "_FUBUKI SOUSOU!"_ Right when the white orb, not empowered by magic, left his hand, Ranma performed a back flip over two incoming spells.

Jupiter cried out when the chilled combination of negative and positive ki hit her. She flew back and hit the training room wall. Before she could recover, the two dodged spells, a fireball from Mars and the beam from Mercury's weapon, hit her and knocked her out.

Ranma glanced up at the clock and cursed when he saw thirteen seconds had passed. Now all he had to do was take five hits before winning. Six Senshi still stood. Ranma took note of each of their positions while dodging their flurry of spells before noticing that one vanished. He lurched his body forward just in time to dodge a wicked slash from Pluto's Garnet Rod.

Ranma didn't stop moving as various spells were launched at him. He cursed several times when the spells, much larger than normal due to his training, almost hit him. Finally, he reached his target.

Ranma stood before Queen Serenity, grinning sheepishly and scratched the base of his pigtail. Before he could say anything, he rolled to the side and sprang up on the other side of the woman. The moment his formed moved, a Silence Glaive Surprise hit the ground where he previously stood. Crystal turned to him with a mock glare. Ranma said, "Um, sorry about that. I had even put 300 on myself for that. I didn't expect Mercury to-" He jumped into the air and landed on the other side of Crystal again.

Crystal's eye ticked when a Dead Scream crashed into her barrier. Pluto grinned nervously before teleporting away. "-to have shields for each of them," Ranma finished. He held out his left hand and canceled a Deep Submerge with an apathetic Moko Takabisha, not looking while doing so. "I'll make up for it with the five hits, I promise!" He flipped away again over another spell sent his way, this one also hitting Crystal's barrier. Ranma turned to face the remaining girls, "The one to fifteen odds on that-"

Ranma tried to dodge this next volley, but his attempt ended with him hitting a Silence Wall from Saturn. Three spells hit him simultaneously. Ranma, moderately damaged and burned, didn't even flinch as he ducked under a swing from Uranus's scimitar and forced the blond woman into the path of the incoming Silence Glaive Surprise. The spell broke the woman's shield and launched her into the training room wall. Hotaru cursed at the result; she had put a lot of power behind it in order for it to hurt Ranma. Uranus, although hurt, still managed to get back to her feet.

Ranma glanced at Crystal after landing back on the ground. "Since they all hit at the same time, does that count as one hit or three?"

Queen Serenity shrugged, "I believe you should ask the officials in charge of the bets."

Ranma nodded and narrowly parried a blow from Setsuna with his scythe in a quick draw. He lashed out with the back end, but she managed to parry that as well. The two fought like they were using staffs in a lightning fast duel. The Nemesisian wood held strong as it crashed into the metal staff repeatedly with loud thwacks. Ranma used the duel to advance forward towards the officials. Several times he had to dodge spells sent at him with pin point precision.

When he deemed himself close enough, Ranma reversed his hold on the scythe and swung the blade forward sharply. Right before Senshi Pluto could block it, Ranma lashed out with a kick. The woman lost her balance before taking the blade into the shoulder, causing a deep cut. She cursed and teleported away.

Ranma then jumped high, landing on the bleacher in front of the officials. "Have I been hit three times or just once?" With his eyes on them, he deflected a spell away with a ki blast.

The woman stuttered before saying, "Th-th-three times." Ranma nodded before back-flipping away, allowing the observer's shield to absorb the next spell.

Ranma landed on the ground with a roll, the spot of his landing exploding into pieces right after. Ranma looked up to see Hotaru healing Setsuna's shoulder. He ignored them and looked up at Mars, who had her bow drawn back and shot an arrow at him. Ranma caught the metal projectile in his hand and imbedded it into the ground, allowing her to gather it at a later time instead of having to buy another.

Ranma then jumped up into the sky, ignoring the fireball she shot at him. He was still freezing the air with Kresh's magic, so the ball died out just before making contact. Ranma continued his ascent until right when he reached the woman. The two exchanged a quick flurry of aerial attacks before gravity took control.

Ranma grinned and grabbed Mars's foot when he was low enough. He used his momentum to swing himself back up behind her. He had broken her shield in his first assault, so her head was open for a quick punch. However, just before he made contact, Setsuna appeared next to him from a teleport, grabbed the winged woman, and teleported back onto the ground. Ranma smirked and allowed himself to fall. He saw several spells coming up at him, aimed at the exact parts his fall would take him. He expertly dodged the spells midair except for the one aimed for the point he would land at.

Ranma cursed and decided to solve it with magic. The magic in the air was thick enough from Kresh to allow him moderate spells. Ranma allowed a thick slab of rock to absorb the World Shaking before he landed safely behind it… Only to be hit from behind from something.

Ranma barely staggered forward from whatever hit him, but he turned in time to see Setsuna standing there with a large smirk, foot still raised. Ranma just shook his head with a small smile, _That's four hits_. Just then, a Shabon Spray hit the ground in front of Ranma. The attack, originally water, had frozen from the air Ranma was chilling and spread snowy ice shards all over the ground. Ranma grinned wickedly and yelled, "_FUBUKI SOUSOU!"_

Setsuna teleported away immediately. However, the attack wasn't aimed at her and hit the unsuspecting Neptune behind her. Ranma lunged forward after the attack. Right before he could reach her, a Silence Wall appeared. Ranma didn't hesitate and jumped over the wall, surprising the Senshi. He landed behind Neptune and elbowed her hard in the back of the head, her shield already down from the Fubuki Sousou. The blow wasn't that powerful with Ranma's forward momentum and backwards elbow, but it still managed to get her to crash headfirst into the Silence Wall.

Ranma grinned before he rolled under a Burning Mandala before striking. Neptune was still dazed from the blow, but she was recovering. She managed to duck under Ranma's first strike before his foot got her and she fell. Neptune's trident, her chosen weapon after her patron god, slipped from her fingers. Right before Ranma could continue, he had to parry a deadly swing from a furious Uranus. Ranma didn't even look at her as he kicked her back across the arena.

"_DEEP SUBMERGE_!"

Ranma unexpectedly took the attack full on and was launched back. She landed quite a distance away. The redhead stood up and flexed her right hand. _That's all the hits I can take…_ She grinned at the aquamarine haired woman. "Do you really want me to go like this? Alright…" Although not as strong, Ranma's speed had a major turning.

Ranma easily parried Setsuna's swing from an adjacent angle, no longer from behind as that was too expected. Before the green haired woman could blink, Ranma gripped her wrist with her right hand. Setsuna was trapped, the scythe angling the Garnet Rod at a way that she couldn't dislodge and the other hand caught by Ranma's. She tried to teleport away before realizing it wouldn't work with Ranma _touching_ her.

Ranma shook her head with an evil smile, "Not this time, Senshi Pluto." Suddenly, Ranma lurched to the right, still holding the Time Keeper, and forced the poor woman into a Silence Glaive Surprise. Setsuna screamed in pain from the attack, but after she just glared at Ranma. "You see, you're too hard to take down with you teleporting everywhere, so you are going to be my shield for the next few minutes. First…" Ranma suddenly lashed out with two lightning fast kicks into Setsuna's hips, deadening her legs.

Senshi Pluto cursed when she lost feeling in her legs. She struggled to get her Garnet Rod out of the parry or pull her wrist away from Ranma's vice grip, but she was helpless in Ranma's arms. Fear at the familiarity of the position entered her as she remembered from the Time Gates how this would end up. She struggled more frantically.

The five other Senshi who were still standing looked at the pair warily. They were reluctant to attack with Ranma using Setsuna as a shield. They tried several unsuccessful retrieval strategies, only ending up getting hurt. When Neptune was knocked out in an assault, they pulled back to reevaluate their strategy.

Setsuna sighed, tired of being the damsel in distress. "This is when Uranus goes 'blast through her!' Oh joy…"

Ranma looked down at her with a frown. She looked up at the blond in question, noticing her frustration and rage. She whispered down at Setsuna. "And you know that I would use you as a shield even after you go unconscious?" At Setsuna's nod, Ranma winced. While she had no problem using the Time Keeper as a permanent shield, even after she goes unconscious, for some reason it sounded unexpectedly cruel. Ranma decided for a quick intervention, "Alright, ladies, new lesson. What do you do when one is captured by the enemy?"

Uranus growled, "Ignore her and take out the enemy at all costs!" She forced a large amount of magic into her next attack, which Ranma chose to dodge instead of letting Setsuna take.

Ranma spat on the ground. She yelled, "Have more respect for your allies! What if this was Senshi Neptune in my grasp?" Uranus leveled a deadly glare at her, but she didn't attack. Setsuna was surprised at this new take. She didn't see this in the Time Gates before…

Hotaru looked uncertain, but she still spoke. "Can we… bargain for her release?"

Ranma smiled at her, "It's very risky, especially in life-or-death fights, but that may very well be all you can do short of killing your ally. In this, yes, we shall bargain."

Mars gathered fire into her hands, ready to unleash a spell at anytime, but she paused for the moment. "In exchange for Senshi Pluto's release… what do you want?"

Ranma took a look of cold seriousness, "In a real fight, expect the enemy to ask for the life of your strongest warrior. In this case, my side will be Senshi Saturn disqualified."

"What? No fucking way!" Uranus yelled.

Ranma shrugged, "Have it your way." She performed another two sharp kicks into Pluto's legs, renewing their uselessness. She held the Senshi protectively in front of her. "Kill Pluto, then I'll go grab Neptune and use her next."

Uranus narrowed her eyes. Before she could retort, Hotaru took a step back. "I accept your conditions." Ranma silently watched her turn around and walk out of bounds. The crowd was silent, able to hear everything that was said and unsure on how to react to it.

As soon as Hotaru sat down with the observers, Ranma whispered to Setsuna, "The future is never set." Before Setsuna could respond, Ranma knocked her out with a well placed punch. She set the woman down gently and picked up her scythe, sliding it back into its sheath. The weapons had been dropped during one of the failed retrievals and Ranma had taken to holding both of Setsuna's wrists.

"You bastard!" Senshi Mercury yelled at Ranma. "That wasn't part of the agreement!" Ranma didn't respond as she quickly ran over and picked up the unconscious Neptune, holding her in front of herself protectively.

Uranus exploded, "What the FUCK do you think you're doing?"

Ranma leveled a cold glare on all of them. "Fools! Do you really think the enemy will honor their agreements? As soon as they get what they want, they will kill their hostage and take another. This isn't about honor; this isn't about fair play! This is about killing the enemy and surviving." She threw Neptune back on the ground next to Setsuna. "Remember that. Now, I'll kick your asses no problem without them."

"DIE!" Uranus snarled. "_WORLD SHAKING! WORLD SHAKING! WORLD SHAKING!" _The yellow orbs were more massive than ever and tore towards Ranma in a path of destruction.

Ranma simply ripped more magic out of Kresh and chilled the air. She held out both hands and yelled, "_FUBUKI SOUSOU!"_ That attack was quickly followed by many more as she canceled Uranus's attacks along with the other remaining Senshi's when they gathered their bearings.

When Mercury took to using her weapon's beam, Ranma finally broke from the constant onslaught. She jumped as high as she could, up towards Mars who had taken to the air again. The winged woman stood no match for Ranma's increased speed and descended with her, unconscious. Ranma landed on her feet and faced the last two women.

_I can't take any more hits, and they are pissed,_ Ranma casually observed. Uranus was lost in a blood rage for her lover, while Mercury still openly hated Ranma. Instead of attacking, Ranma yelled, "How you holding up, Kresh?"

"I still have plenty of magic to spare, Lord Ranma," Kresh answered back through the link, despite it sounding like he was all the way across the room in the stands, sitting next to Marx.

Ranma briefly wondered if it could be considered cheating as she ripped a good portion of magic from Kresh, letting the power flow over her. She started charging the duo. As she ran, Ranma unleashed one of her favorite raw spells: a gale of wind. Uranus quickly countered the gale with her World Shaking, but Ranma was upon them.

Facing Mercury, Ranma rammed the back of her scythe into Uranus's stomach before swinging heavily towards the shielded woman. Uranus bent over from the blow, gasping, but she remained conscious. Mercury, however, calmly aimed her weapon and spun the ring in a quick jerk. Ranma's attack harmlessly glanced off the thick shield before Ranma was forced to dodge the blast.

Remembering how strong Mercury's shield was, Ranma channeled the rest of her magic into her hands along with a good portion of ki. The air remained below freezing as she shouted, "_FUBUKI SOUSOU!"_ Ice flakes formed along her arms as the small, white orb turned massive.

Mercury tried to dodge the attack, but it was too late with their short distance. It ground into her shield mercilessly. The orb actually managed to lesson from two feet thick to one foot thick before the shield broke and the attack exploded. Mercury was launched back, her front badly frost-burned. She hit the observer's barrier with the back of her head and slid down it, unconscious.

Ranma didn't do a follow up attack to make sure she stayed down as the fatigue hit her. Without the Senshi power-up, channeling the spell was brutal. Ranma wheezed as she collapsed onto her knees. She glanced up at Uranus quickly to make sure the woman hadn't fully recovered.

The blond haired woman had lost most of her rage, but the heat of the fight was still with her. Her dark blue eyes kept careful observation of Ranma as she struggled to her feet. Not to be outmatched, Ranma also struggled to her feet. Ranma had also pulled out her scythe to help her at the same time as when Uranus used her scimitar.

The two regarded each other, each leaning against their weapons. Ranma smirked, "Offer still stand?"

Uranus barked out a laugh. "Always."

"Just checking…" Ranma managed to lock her knees and rested the scythe on her shoulder, almost like a bored baseball player except for the heavy breathing. Uranus managed to do the same, resting the dull part of her weapon against her shoulder.

Ranma took an awkward step forward, then another, and was soon marching her way towards Uranus. The blond woman moved her scimitar into a defensive position, as taught by Kresh, and waited for the attack. As soon as Ranma was close enough, she swung the scythe around hard. Uranus tried to move her blade into place for a parry, but Ranma had other plans when she suddenly kicked the woman with speed that belied her earlier march.

Uranus rolled across the ground a couple of times before she struggled to her feet again. She yelled, "_WORLD SHAKING!"_ Knowing that he couldn't get hit again, and really not feeling well enough to dodge, Ranma channeled ki into his scythe and cut through the attack. She charged after.

This time Uranus charged as well. The two met each other's blades with a loud clang and entered a sloppy melee fight. When, at last, the two locked into a parry, Ranma shoved her back. Uranus stumbled but then smirked, "_WORL-"_

"_MOKO TAKABISHA REVISED: apathetic edition."_ Ranma shouted fast, cutting her off despite its length. The ball of raw ki shot forward and slammed into Uranus. Uranus was then launched back and into the observer's barrier. Her body finally gave in and she slumped down, unconscious.

Ranma smirked back at the Queen, "There, I won with just five hits." Then, the red head stumbled and hit the ground, the scythe slipping away from her hand. Kresh was by his master's side in a second. The demon picked up the dropped weapon and slung his master over his shoulder before walking with them towards the palace.

Crystal dropped her shields and shook her head at the devastation left by Ranma. The crowd burst into cheers, thoroughly entertained even if the ending wasn't as epic as they wished. The Queen stepped forward, held out her hand, and shouted, "I give you your champion: Senshi of Nemesis, Ranma Uzuki-Saotome!"

After the cheer died down, the people began shuffling towards the bet booth. One group of people, however, moved towards the palace after the demon. Crystal herself approached the only conscious Senshi and engaged her in gentle conversation before she herself collected her winnings.

XXXX

Inside Ranma's room, Kresh had just set Ranma down on her bed. The little demon set the weapons down in the usual pile before looking up suddenly when he felt a presence. He relaxed when he saw that it was just Nemesis. The woman gave a small smile to the demon before she looked at the resting Ranma. She smirked down at her and slipped into her bed.

As she snuggled up against the redhead, Nemesis whispered to herself, "I am going to regret this later, but… Well, at least I'm not naked." With that thought, she closed her eyes and allowed the time to pass, simply enjoying the feel of Ranma next to her. Since she was a planet and not really a person, she couldn't sleep. She could, however, still observe what was happening on her even at this distance, not limited by the perception of the body's eyes.

Hours later, Ranma woke up feeling comfortable. Noticing she was still female, she used the magic in the air, heavy from Kresh's presence, to transform back into a guy. It was because of that shift that he noticed that he wasn't alone on the bed. By smell alone, that scent of the forest located behind his family's house on Nemesis, he knew who was there.

Ranma cracked an eye open to confirm his suspicions. Well, at least she was dressed. Still exhausted from the fight, and with his muscles screaming in agony, Ranma decided not to get up. He readjusted his position into one more comfortable and felt Nemesis tighten her grip on him. He wrapped his arm around her and absently ran his fingers through her dark green hair, the same color as the wood on his scythe and the color of the trees back on his real home.

Nemesis sighed in contentment at the feel of Ranma. She mumbled, "I'm about ready to jump you right now."

Ranma smiled down at her. "With how I feel right now we wouldn't get very far."

The woman rubbed her cheek against his chest. "Actually, you feel _really_ good."

Ranma in turn moved his hand from her hair and ran it down along her form. "As do you."

Nemesis pressed herself against him when his hand finished its journey. "Hell, now I really am ready to jump you."

Ranma rolled his eyes, "But _Mother_, it would be so wrong…"

"And yet feel sooo right…" Nemesis countered.

Ranma chuckled, feeling better. Nemesis giggled with him. "I guess you really have raised the bar."

Nemesis nodded against his chest before looking up into his eyes with a smirk. "And I did it without sleeping with you naked." She added under her breath, "Spoilsport…"

"I might be regretting that decision right now…" Ranma remarked, looking deep into her eyes.

Nemesis blinked. "I'll be out of this dress in two seconds flat if you're serious right now." Ranma just laughed again, causing her to swat him atop his head. "Geez, Ranma. Don't get me so excited. That was just cruel."

"That was retaliation for sleeping in my bed," Ranma said with a smirk.

Nemesis wrapped her arms around Ranma's muscled form and hugged him close. "It was so worth it." Ranma rolled his eyes again but returned to stroking her hair.

Once it seemed like they were finished speaking, Kresh suddenly said, "Lord Ranma, there are guests waiting for you."

The first time Kresh had caught the duo in such close proximity had been a time of severe embarrassment for Ranma. Now he was used to it and didn't move when Kresh announced his presence.

Ranma looked at his demon and asked, "Who are they?"

"I believe they are your family, Lord Ranma," Kresh answered.

Ranma looked stunned for a moment. Nemesis curiously watched what seemed like a one-way conversation. "How many?"

"There are four. Would you like for me to send them in? They have been waiting for over three hours now. Two of them claimed to be doctors and could help you, but, as ordered, no one is allowed entrance accept the Queen and her." He pointed at Nemesis.

"Yeah, Uncle Reyth and Uncle Sid are both doctors. Please, send them in." Kresh left the room.

Nemesis raised an eyebrow at Ranma. "Reyth? Is your family coming or something?"

Remembering that she couldn't hear his entire conversation, Ranma replied, "Yeah. Now, would you like to get off the bed and look like the great and powerful Nemesis or stay here and look like the girl I just knocked up?"

Nemesis snuggled closer to Ranma. Right when the door opened again, she said loud enough for the new comers to hear, "No use hiding what's already done."

Just then, Ranma's family entered.

XXXX

Queen Serenity, on her throne, gazed at her generals. General Hisako, General Catharine, and General Marx stood before her, fully uniformed, at attention with their arms behind their backs. The generals patiently waited for her to speak.

In her soft yet commanding voice, the Queen asked, "What did each of you notice in that fight today?"

General Catharine spoke first, "That only one of eight is still enough to destroy all of the Senshi."

General Marx shook his head. "No, Senshi Nemesis has trained with the others enough to know how they attack and the best ways to defeat them."

General Catharine raised an eyebrow at Marx, "Then what did you see?"

Marx frowned and looked at the floor, racking his brain of what he remembered. "I think… I saw that Ranma still has more to teach them."

Crystal leaned forward a bit and folded her hands across her lap. "Please… Elaborate."

Marx looked hesitant. "Well, when he held Pluto hostage and was using her as a shield, I think he realized that there was a bit more to teach them. I personally have been to almost every training session, so I have seen his amazing progress with the Senshi, but he has more to teach them besides mastering their weapons."

Queen Serenity nodded, "He told me, back when he was just starting to train them, that he would need years to get them ready."

"He already had two years," Catharine growled out.

Marx glanced at her, "Two years to train them in things that he learned over, from what I heard, thirty-five years of training in all fields. He trained as a Senshi apprentice for fourteen years, and the rest of his training allowed him to do what he did out there today. What the other Senshi had trained for their whole lives had been focused around what Ranma took less than one year learning. Now he has to cram the other thirty-four years into their skulls in not even a sixteenth of the time."

Catharine huffed, and was about to retort, when General Hisako cut in, "General Marx is right – on both points. Ranma has not had enough time to train them in what he needs to. Also, there are more specific things he needs to train them. I noticed in the fight that Ranma himself realized it."

"General Catharine, do you agree with them?" Queen Serenity asked.

Catharine grew a dark look, like she wanted to argue, but she then deflated and said, "Yes, I agree with them, but what do you propose we do? The time is getting closer to when they attack, we all know that. We have anywhere from a week to a year before they attack. We will need the Outer Guard to repel any invading forces, so we can't risk having them at the palace too often."

Crystal nodded to that, "That is true. It is why this is the first time we have had a full gathering of Senshi in months. General Marx, what would you propose we do?"

The three women all looked at the male general. Marx sighed and ran a hand through his short, brown hair. "I believe that we should use this week to our full advantage before sending the Outers back into position. From there, we should have Senshi Pluto and Saturn come here for training while Senshi Uranus and Neptune watch our boundaries before alternating between the two groups. That way we can have at least two Senshi holding off the invaders, giving us enough time to rally the others."

Hisako almost immediately agreed with the plan, making Marx smile at her. Catharine rolled her eyes before also agreeing with the plan. Once the three generals were in agreement, Queen Serenity stood from her throne. "It is decided then. I shall inform Ranma of this and ask for his opinion."

"Um, I don't think that is the best idea at the moment, Queen Serenity," Marx said awkwardly.

The Queen raised an eyebrow. "And why is that?"

"Well, Ranma is with his family right now."

"Oh?" The Queen faced him. "And where did you hear this from?"

"Kresh- that is… Ranma's familiar and I are… um, friends. He informed me."

The Queen raised an eyebrow but returned to her throne. "I was under the impression that Kresh could not speak."

Marx almost shrugged before he remembered who he was talking to. "Well, after two years, you learn a few tricks."

"I… see," Crystal said, slowly. "Well then, when you receive word from Kresh that Ranma is available, please inform me. For now, you are all dismissed." The generals bowed once before silently turning and leaving the room.

As they left, Hisako wrapped her arm around Marx's waist. She said to him, "Speaking of the little devil, it seems like you're spending more time with him than you are with me."

Marx chuckled, "I'm sorry, honey. Most of the people at the palace reject him, so I'm the only friend he has. Besides, if you took the time to get to know him, you would find that he's actually quite funny."

"How can he be funny if he can't even speak?" Hisako deadpanned. "But, it's okay. Tonight we are going to make up for all the lost time between us."

Marx looked at her with his eyebrows raised. "You mean…" At her sly smile, Marx grinned and pulled her closer, _Oh boy…_

XXXX

Fugao wiped a fake tear from his eye. "My little boy is all grown up…"

Hoshiko was still as a statue, mortified at the position she had just seen her son in.

Reyth frowned and said, "Ranma, I hope you're using protection."

Sydney came in close and slapped Ranma's back, giving him a thumbs-up and congratulations.

Ranma's eye twitched at the scene before he leveled a deadly glare at the giggling woman. "I haven't seen these people since I was twelve and _this_ is how I meet them?" He looked back up at his family and said, "It's not like that! We were sleeping, just sleeping!"

"Sure you were, Ranma. Must have been a good 'sleep' if you went at it for three hours," Uncle Sydney said, elbowing Ranma with a wink.

Nemesis nodded enthusiastically. "You have no idea. This man really is the Wild Horse." Her grip around Ranma tightened.

"Not helping!" Ranma snapped at her. He looked back to his family and sighed. He visibly calmed himself, allowing his mind to regain control after Nemesis's antics. In a much more calm and convincing tone, Ranma said, "Really, we were just sleeping. I had enough problems with my previous fiancées and the girls here at the palace. Please, ignore her. She is prone to delusions. I took to sheltering her after finding her abandoned on the streets. I didn't have the heart to leave her wandering around aimlessly."

Nemesis was too stunned at Ranma's smooth bluff to come up with a quick counter. Reyth glanced at her before nodding. "I see it now. Have you taken her to be analyzed for schizophrenia?"

Ranma nodded sadly. "Unfortunately, she actually just has many different phases of delusions. She goes from believing that every night is sex to delusions of grandeur, specifically that she is um… 'the great and powerful planet Nemesis.' It's sad, really."

"Hey!" Nemesis said indignantly. "I really AM Nemesis."

"Her name is Katy Runework," Ranma said sadly. Reyth gave an understanding nod. As a neurologist and psychologist, he was used to such disorders.

Ranma pulled himself off the bed, groaning at the pain in his muscles when doing so. He left Nemesis there fuming as he moved to the chair located at his table. He looked up at his family and asked, "So, what brings you to Luna?"

Fugao stepped forward, indicating that he was the one to speak. "Well, I haven't seen my son in over a decade! I missed you at the trial, and you seemed to just vanish after your judgment. When I heard about this competition, I couldn't resist seeing you beat all of those stuck up women."

Ranma flinched at his second father's prejudice. "You know… they aren't _all_ that bad."

Fugao didn't seem to hear him. "And I even heard that you tried to assassinate Queen Serenity." He beamed in pride. "That's my boy."

Reyth sighed but didn't do anything else. Ranma, however, didn't feel a need to restrain himself. "Fugao! Dear god, you're as bad as some of the women here… Attacking Crystal was an accident. The other Senshi aren't bad or evil or man-hating. Well, Mercury is, and Uranus and Neptune are just… that isn't the point! Look, the way you treat women is no different than the way the Moon kingdom treat men. Don't you find that a little odd?"

Fugao lost his grin. After a moment, he said, "I think living here has brought you under their influence."

Ranma rolled his eyes, "Oh please, we would argue about this all the time on Nemesis."

Fugao was silent for a moment, thinking back, so Reyth moved to speak, "So what wild adventures have you gotten yourself into now?"

Ranma shrugged lazily, "Not much… I'm just all that stands between our entire solar system and the Dark Moon Kingdom. How about you guys?"

Fugao spoke, apparently out of his introspection, "Well, besides having temporarily aligned ourselves with this damned Moon Kingdom, not much. The only reason we allowed it is because Nemesis herself requested it. If she hadn't… said… any…" He paused. With a sharp look, he turned around to face the woman on the bed.

From there, his eyes widened and his jaw lowered. Reyth, picking up what his brother-in-law had been getting at, also turned to inspect the girl. Sydney cocked his head at the girl before winking.

"N-N-Ne-Nemesis-sama!" Fugao stuttered out. The twin doctors' eyes also widened. Nemesis winked at them before folding her arms and sending a smug look Ranma's way.

Sydney was first to react as he turned to Ranma and slapped his back much harder, grinning madly. "That'a'boy!"

Ranma grunted from the slap, the Nemesisian holding more strength than his profession implied. He glared weakly at the man, "Uncle Sid… We were just _sleeping._"

Reyth recovered enough to rub his chin and mutter to himself, "As a physical embodiment of a planet, I wonder if she can get pregnant. Maybe if she wanted to…?"

Ranma finally blushed and forced himself into a standing position. Right before he was about to deny everything again, he stopped and got an idea. He walked back over to the bed and sat down next to Nemesis again. He wrapped his arm around her waist and said, "You're right, I'm sorry. This kind of thing is expected between the Senshi and their planet. And to answer your question, Oji-san, I don't think she can get pregnant seeing as it's been two years now and nothing's happened."

Nemesis, in return, wrapped her arm around Ranma's waist and rested her head on his shoulder. She grinned and said, "Ranma's right. This body wasn't meant to support life; I left that with my real body."

Reyth nodded his understanding. Ranma's mother hadn't moved yet, her hand still in front of her mouth and her eyes wide.

Ranma then turned his head to the side and rested it on top of Nemesis's. He said to his family, "I'm sorry if it seems like I'm cutting this short, but Nemesis and I still have some… unfinished business to attend to. Stick around at the palace if you can; maybe stay at the guest quarters. I'll come and see you guys as soon as possible."

Sydney grinned, "Three hours and still going! That'a'boy!" He quickly wrapped his arms around Reyth's and a stunned Fugao's shoulders and began leading them out of the room. He passed a wink at Ranma before leaving. Hoshiko was still stone-still before she bolted from the room after the men. Kresh followed them out, closing the door behind him.

Still in their position, Ranma and Nemesis burst into laughter. Nemesis finally moved enough to wipe the tears from her eyes. Ranma removed his arm from around her and lay back down on the bed, a grin on his face. "It's been thirteen years since I've seen them, and this is how we meet again?"

Nemesis laid back as well, snuggling up to Ranma again. "Oh Ranma, what have I done to you to make you do that to your own family?"

Ranma mock-glared at her. "Uh-uh, you're not lying here again."

Nemesis clutched Ranma tighter before sighing. She sat back up and readjusted her dress. "You're right. I should be getting back." She pulled herself off the bed and smoothed down her light green dress one more time before winking at Ranma. "If your bed ever gets cold, you know who to call." Ranma rolled his eyes as she teleported away.

Right when he closed his eyes to go back to sleep, Ranma heard his door open. He knew it wasn't Kresh as he was halfway across the palace, probably with Marx. Ranma slipped into the Umisenken while lying down, too tired to do anything else. Once he saw the curious face of Crystal, he dropped the technique.

Crystal's eyes honed in on Ranma when he appeared, not startled by the suddenness of it. She continued into the room and stood before him at the foot of his bed. "Ranma, I spoke with my generals earlier today. They mentioned that you had found something specific to train the Senshi in. We decided that you had a full week to train all the Senshi before we alternate between two of the Outer Guard here at a time."

Ranma frowned, "How would they know if I… Whatever. Um, that's great. I had just thought of something, actually. A full week will be perfect. I'll just double the training sessions and they should have it down by then."

Crystal cocked her head at him. "I'm just curious… What is it that you wish to train them in?"

"Well, I figured I would train them in specifically countering the combat squad. For each day I will go over as much of a member as I can. This way we can limit their training from all forms of fighting to specifically countering them," Ranma replied slowly, looking like he still needed time to think the idea over.

Crystal nodded her acceptance. "Rest well, Ranma. We shall see you tomorrow."

Ranma waved as a parting before closing his eyes and letting his weariness take him. Crystal smiled softly before silently leaving the room.

XXXX

The next day, Ranma had spoken to his family again. Without Nemesis, things went much smoother. He did, however, have to spend a hefty amount of time explaining to Sydney that what he and Nemesis had done the previous day was merely a joke. Other than that and another moral argument with Fugao, it was a nice, easy reunion between the Uzuki family. Ranma had spent several hours with them, opting to miss breakfast despite his gnawing hunger, before he was forced to go to the training with the other Senshi. He bid his family farewell before leaving in a rush.

When Ranma reached the training ground, he was already transformed. He smiled to himself at seeing all eight Senshi gathered once again. They looked at him expectantly, each bearing a face of determination. Well, except for Mercury. She was still glaring at him.

Ranma said to them, "We got one week to get in a new type of training. I am going to train you to specifically fight the combat squad." He could tell that a couple wanted to ask questions, but they knew enough to let him finish. "We have seven days for seven people. Because of our limited time before the Outer Guard splits up, training sessions are now double. After lunch, you are to return to this spot for the second half."

Several Senshi winced at the concept of double training, but most kept their hardened expressions, causing Ranma to smile. "In no particular order, we are going to start with Yusuke of the Samui twins."

Ranma explained the affinity for ice and told them to expect deadly blizzards. He made a broadsword of ice with magic, like he remembered Yusuke doing. He did a few spars with the Senshi, using magic to cause a snowstorm around them as he fought with the weapon. Ranma explained what he could about Yusuke's personality and fighting style. He made the Senshi practice amongst themselves as he did individual training sessions for each Senshi. After he was sure each one had a basic idea on what they were up against, he told them of specific strategies to fight Yusuke with. Finally, after long hours, he released them for lunch.

Ranma considered going to the royal dining room, but the fact that he had missed breakfast earlier on held sway over his decision. The barracks allowed him to take as much as he wanted. After the Senshi had left, he lagged behind a bit to talk to Kresh and Marx before heading out.

When Ranma reached the mess hall, he found the room to be strangely quiet. That was unusual as it usually took his and Setsuna's presence to do something like that, and he had yet to enter. A quick peek inside showed why.

The guards were stone-still, food forgotten, as they stared at the new inhabitants. The eight other Senshi were in line picking out their food. Ranma smirked at the sight and shook his head before joining his fellow Senshi.

Due to the severity of his hunger, Ranma took to activating his curse for the simple purpose of carrying more trays, boggling all of the Senshi except those who had seen him eat outside of the dining room. She managed to carry one tray on her head, one in her mouth, one on each shoulder, one on her back, two in each hand, and one last one balanced on her foot as she hopped over to the empty tables. She set the ten trays down in front of her, causing the stunned Senshi to drag two more tables in for enough room for all of them to sit.

"Is that even healthy?" Jupiter asked Mercury in a whisper.

The blue haired woman shook her head, dropping her glare for once. "I-I don't know."

Ranma ignored the looks with practiced ease and glanced at Setsuna. She frowned at her modest two plates, and that deepened when she saw her eat at a graceful, reserved pace. _Just like when we first ate together,_ she thought to herself. Ranma didn't like seeing this side of Setsuna, especially at a casual event like eating, but she was powerless to do anything about it.

Instead, Ranma turned to Hotaru and smiled at her bold four trays. The woman, now twenty-four years old, smiled back at Ranma and sat down across from her. "Nice to see you're still eating healthy, Hotaru-chan," Ranma commented.

She blushed before gesturing towards Ranma's overwhelming number of trays. "Well, not as 'healthy' as you of course, Ranma-kun."

Just then, Uranus sat to Ranma's left. She stacked Ranma's three trays that were in her way, placed them on top a fourth, before setting down her three trays. Neptune sat on the other side of Uranus with an orderly stack of two trays.

Uranus threw her arm around Ranma's shoulder and whispered into her ear, "You know, sexy, I think it's about time you gave into my offer."

Ranma rolled her eyes and transformed into a male. He smirked back at her, "I'll go there just like this."

"And I'll bring the cold water," Uranus countered smugly.

"You gotta accept both if you want me; it's a two-for-one deal," Ranma chided, gaining his own smug look.

Uranus tilted her head, thinking about it. "Maybe if I close my eyes…"

Ranma chuckled. "Not in this lifetime."

"Then in the next, maybe?" Uranus said jokingly.

Ranma rolled his eyes, "Yeah, sure. In the next lifetime we'll have a go at it." (1)

Neptune elbowed her lover. "Love, stop pestering Ranma-sensei and eat your food."

Ranma suddenly stood up and wiped his mouth. He stacked his ten trays, all of them empty to the astonishment of the Senshi, and quickly said, "Alright, it's been fun, ladies. You have thirty minutes to finish and get back to the training room." With that, he turned on his heel and rushed out of them. As soon as he made it out of the barracks, he startled laughing darkly.

The Senshi blinked at the odd behavior, having shaken off the shock of seeing him finish his food so fast. They turned back to their own food… to find it all gone. As one, they all shouted angrily, "RANMA!"

Hearing the yell, Ranma patted his stomach fondly. He _had_ skipped breakfast after all.

XXXX

Ranma continued their training. For the second session of training, he got Kresh involved with magic. The demon was capable of recreating anything Ranma asked, and with the training room able to produce any terrain he wanted, he soon had the Senshi going through scenarios. To his immense satisfaction and joy, Hotaru had managed to disarm and 'kill' Yusuke (Marx) in one of the scenarios. It wasn't much longer until the rest of the Senshi could also do it solo. Satisfied, Ranma dismissed the Senshi for dinner.

The next day Ranma repeated the training for Chiyo, Yusuke's sister. Although similar to Yusuke by using ice, the Senshi had difficulty finding Ranma when he was hiding by the Umisenken inside Kresh's blizzard. It didn't take long until they realized that they just had to 'flush him out.' Soon, Ranma was pleased to find no refuge in the snow. After another unusual lunch, this time with Ranma eating only his plates, Kresh had taken Ranma's place as 'Chiyo.' The demon displayed his remorselessness as he impaled the Senshi with ice shards in non-lethal areas. By the end of the day, the Senshi were able to recognize and dodge the deadly shards while keeping 'Chiyo' out of the blizzard.

The rest of the week followed the same pattern. He would go over the fighting style and special techniques the best he could on each member. He tried to recreate the enemies, tried to get their exact power between him transformed and Kresh's magic. On a couple of enemies, the Senshi could all beat them, but on others, specifically Makusu, they stood no chance.

Ranma had the most trouble with Hi, having never seen the man fight. He warned the Senshi of his teleportation, allowing Pluto to speak of the best strategy to fight against it, and he warned of the man's affinity to fire. The training that day consisted mainly of Kresh summoning torrents of fire and Ranma moving at amazing speeds, forcing the Senshi to fight on two fronts. Mercury was the only one able to hold her own during this.

After the second session of that training, Ranma dismissed the burned and bruised Senshi. He had simply waved them off before turning and entering the palace. The Senshi, some wheezing, watched him go. Hotaru was first to turn away and quickly worked to heal the burns, her deep purple eyes narrowed in concentration.

As Ranma entered the empty hall that held his room, eyes still forward, he said, "Hey, Yuka."

From behind him, Ranma heard a soft thump. He didn't look as he kept walking. Yuka growled, _How did he see me?_ She had been planning on surprising him and had clung to the ceiling with her claws. Seeing him still walking, Yuka scrambled to her feet and rushed to catch up.

The secretary, carrying her trademark cybernetic clipboard, walked next to Ranma with her tails swishing. "Sometimes I don't think you're human."

Ranma glanced at her, "Funny, I think the same about you."

Yuka let the comment slide, both knowing that she liked her cat-like attributes more than her old human form. "I mean, in a fight, you are like a god. Then, outside a fight, you still have a certain perception that allows you to see things that shouldn't be possible."

Ranma shrugged and opened the door to his room when they reached it. Suddenly, in a flash of light, he was whisked away, leaving no trace of him behind. Yuka cross her arms under her chest, recognizing the trigger activated teleportation spell. "And yet, when it comes to things like magic, you are as clueless as an infant." She rolled her eyes, closed his door, and left down the hall.

As the world flashed colors, Ranma sighed. How many times had this happened to him? He thought it would have stopped when he got rid of his pursuers. Regardless, he would not be contained. Several had tried, none had succeeded. Then again, more than once the result had been… different. Once, Senshi Mercury had used a spell to make him appear at the hot-springs containing all of the Senshi, Yuka, and the Queen herself, and on another occasion, Senshi Venus had… Well, he tried not to think of it.

Suddenly, the colors stopped flashing and pulsed white before the world came crashing into view. Ranma took that as his cue and tensed his body as he made his final descent, only a few yards above the surface. He only briefly saw two people before he plunged into water. Ranma, still a male, saw all he needed to see before his eyes snapped shut. If the 'carpets matched the drapes,' then he was currently in Senshi Uranus's and Neptune's grand bathtub.

Neptune was resting back against her lover, trying to relax after the exhausting practice, when there was a flash of light above her. Uranus, with her arms around Neptune and her chin resting on the woman's shoulder, also saw the light. They watched a form fall from a portal and land in their tub, it being spacious enough for the new occupant.

"Who the hell…?" Uranus whispered, not willing to move just yet.

Neptune rolled her eyes. "Who else?"

Uranus grinned when she caught sight of the black hair and familiar clothing under the water. She reached over with one arm and spun a dial towards the blue section. "I think it's time to make good on our offer." Neptune smirked. The girls shivered as cold water swept through the tub, but it was worth it when they saw the black hair turn red.

Ranma, still under the water, cursed when she felt the cold water and her curse trigger. She felt displacement in the water, so she quickly rose and scrambled out of the tub. Her efforts were stopped when two pairs of arms caught a hold of her. Ranma froze when she felt breath tingling her ear and a voice whisper, "Why, hello there, Ranma."

"Uh… Um, h-hey there, Uranus. It's not my fault, really," Ranma stuttered out, eyes facing forward - towards the exit.

Ranma could _hear_ the smirk in Uranus's voice, "No need to be shy, sexy. We understand that you've accepted the offer and are a bit nervous, so we'll help make sure you… relax."

Ranma tried to step forward, but she froze again when she felt something fuzzy latch onto her wrists, locking them behind her back. She tried to snap the handcuffs but to her growing fear they held strong. "Not this time. Those are tempered biosteel handcuffs, enchanted and crafted on Mercury. They were made just for Neptune and I, to hold back our Senshi strength. You won't be breaking those anytime soon."

Ranma gulped and tried, more frantically, to escape the room. Uranus held on strong, making Ranma assume she was currently transformed. Suddenly, she was hoisted off her feet and carried into the next room. Ranma was tossed down on a large bed, bounced once, and finally turned her eyes to her captors.

The two women were, as she thought, transformed. They both held predatory gleams in their eyes as they watched their prey. Ranma gulped again before she took all the magic in the air to force a transformation back into her male side. He smirked up at them. "Like I said, you gotta accept both if you want me."

Uranus just held up an empty pitcher. Neptune used her ability to fill it with cold water, and Uranus tossed it onto Ranma, soaking him back into a her. Ranma groaned when she noticed that there wasn't enough magic in the air for another transformation. Kresh was too far away to get a good amount of magic.

Uranus crawled onto the bed, undoing the top of her leotard. Neptune was quick to follow, also removing her top. Ranma began sweating bullets, not able to move anything but her legs, which were stuck at an awkward angle beneath her. She struggled to get them up-right, but right before she could move, a new pair of gold and blue, furry handcuffs latched around her ankles. Neptune smirked, her hands returning to her top.

Seeing no other choice, Ranma transformed, producing her Henshi Rod from seemingly nowhere. She grimaced as the revealing uniform melded onto her body, but the breastplate was a relief as it called that area off limits. However, as she soon found out, the microskirt made the bottom that much easier. Uranus capitalized on the moment.

The second the woman's small hands made contact with the material, Ranma eeped and performed her other transformation, back into a male. He sighed in relief as the uniform reshaped itself into the form-hugging, white clothing and the black plates formed around his body. He quickly ripped magic from Nemesis and used it to heat the water in the pitcher as it was flung towards him.

Wet but thankfully still male, Ranma burst into action. He ignored the fact that Neptune already had her breasts exposed and willed his magic into action. The blankets on the bed first launched him off in a graceless throw before wrapping around the two Senshi, trapping and covering them to where only their heads were visible.

The handcuffs may have been made to restrain Senshi, they may be able to withstand the strength of a Nemesisian, but they could _not_ hold under the strength of a Nemesisian Senshi channeling ki into his usable arm. He channeled magic into his right arm, turning it into unmovable steel to prevent it from moving with the pull (2). With a grunt, Ranma snapped the chain.

He slipped his fingers under the cuff on his right wrist and snapped it off. Ranma willed his left hand into shrinking, looking odd but allowing him to shake the other cuff off. As he regrew his hand, he realized that that would have been simpler than snapping the chain. With that thought, he shrank both of his feet and allowed the second handcuff to slip off. Now free, he turned to face the struggling Senshi behind him.

He crossed his arm across his chest and glared at them, tapping his foot. The Senshi had stopped their struggling and looked sheepish. He rolled his eyes and asked, "Did you put the spell on my door?" Neptune shook her head. "Alright then. Sorry about the handcuffs, but next time you try to capture me, make sure I can't transform."

Uranus grinned, "Yes, Ranma-sensei. I'll remember that." Ranma shook his head, exasperated, and left the room.

As soon as he was gone, the girls felt the magic leave the blanket holding them. They pulled the cloth off and grinned at each other's half-naked forms. They returned to the bed.

XXX

"Ranma, listen to me! Let one of us heal your arm. We can't afford weaknesses," Crystal said, her tone holding frustration and a hint of anger.

Nemesis stood next to the Queen, nodding her support. "There is absolutely no reason to continue this."

Ranma stood before them, the throne room empty besides the three. He was staring at his right hand. "No reason?" he muttered just loud enough for them to hear. "This arm is all that reminds me of my mistake of joining the Dark Moon. It is a reminder of what they had done to me personally, a reminder of what they had done to my body and my mind. It is a reminder for what they made me do, for what I almost did." His gaze snapped up to Crystal before it softened.

"You're right, it is absolutely useless. However, it is a commemoration that I need more than the minor convenience I would gain by either of you healing it. I've taught myself how to fight without it, so it will not interfere with that, and if the need comes, I always have my female form for backup. Don't forget that I could heal this myself if I so wished."

Nemesis sighed and set her soft and cool hand down on Ranma's right forearm. Ranma reveled in the feel of it, the sensation not lost despite its paralysis. Her thumb gently brushed the limb. "Ranma, I understand your feelings. I really do. However, there are some things you need to let go for the greater good."

Ranma closed his eyes but didn't say anything. Crystal spoke up, "Ranma, what if this was the deciding point in the war? What if you get in a situation where one hand just isn't enough and you don't have magic to spare for a transformation? Will it be worth it then?"

He was being foolish, he knew, but, damn it, he had a right to decide the condition of his arm. "It won't come to that. I know it won't." Deciding the conversation - the third time this month - was over, he turned to leave.

"And how do you know it won't come to that, Ranma?" he heard Crystal call after him.

He stopped mid-step. "Because I'm Ranma Saotome." He turned his head to look back at her, an arrogant smirk on his face. He finished his old cliché, "And I don't lose." He continued on out.

Crystal sighed in frustration. Nemesis chased after her Senshi.

When Ranma was in the hall, he stopped when he felt two arms wrap around him from behind. He could hear the sorrow in Nemesis's voice, "Ranma, please… I don't want to lose you to this stupid war. There is more to this than just your life, or my life, or even Queen Serenity's life. There is everyone in this entire solar system to think about. All of them are the price of this war. I know why you're doing this, but don't let your stubbornness be the true motive."

Ranma relaxed into her embrace, the scent of the Nemesis's forest filling him. "Nemesis…" He took a deep breath. "If I thought it would make a difference, I wouldn't do this." Nemesis clenched him tighter, but Ranma moved forward again, forcing her to let go. He left her there, in the hall, and didn't look back.

Nemesis watched him go. She sighed sadly. "Fool… My fool, but a fool none-the-less." She vanished in a breath of wind.

XXXX

Ranma quietly padded through the halls of the palace. He had given the Senshi a day off after two hard weeks of training without Uranus or Neptune. Once he dismissed them, the Senshi had left without a word, too exhausted for conversation. Ranma spoke with Kresh and Marx for awhile, reviewing the training and the Senshi's slow progress. After, he had returned to the palace.

Currently, Ranma was heading for Senshi Pluto's room. He was about to go fetch lunch at the barracks when he decided he would like to have company. When he reached her door, however, his eyes narrowed. He heard sounds inside. Silently, Ranma opened the door and crept inside under the Umisenken.

Inside, Ranma saw Setsuna alone. She was crying, the source of the noise. He dropped the technique, surprising the woman.

Setsuna quickly wiped her eyes when she saw him. "R-Ranma…"

Ranma was by her side in an instant, his intense blue eyes on her. "What's wrong?"

Setsuna sniffed. "You don't know? No, I guess you wouldn't… It's been two years after all…"

Ranma went cold inside. He remembered now. In two days, it would have been exactly two years since he became a Senshi for the Moon Kingdom. Two days before he became a Senshi, he had eliminated a Senshi – Setsuna's mother. "I-I'm sorry, Setsuna. I shouldn't be here."

Before he could turn to leave, Setsuna quickly got a hold of his wrist. Their eyes met - blood to water. "Please… I-I don't want to be alone right now."

Ranma nodded his acceptance and sat down next to her. Setsuna leaned against him. Ranma wrapped his arm around her, the only comfort he felt he could provide. They sat in silence for a few moments, Ranma's hunger forgotten, as Setsuna slowly regained control over her emotions.

Finally, Setsuna relaxed and allowed her head to rest against his shoulder. She said to him, "Thank you." Ranma rubbed her back in a comforting way in response. He stared blankly at the wall, lost in memories. Setsuna saw the look and said to him in a soft voice, "I don't blame you, Ranma. You were involved, yes, but you were misled."

Ranma looked down at her, their faces only inches apart. His eyes were so intense that if it were in any other situation, Setsuna was sure she would have blushed. After a few seconds, he said, "I won't let that happen to you. Even if we all fall, I won't let you die in this."

Setsuna was forced to turn away from him. She sighed, "I'm touched, Ranma, but we both know how this is going to end." Ranma didn't argue, but inside, he made the promise to himself. They sat in silence again, Setsuna taking comfort in the embrace, before she glanced back at him. "I suppose you came here for a reason… Would you like to go eat?" At Ranma's nod, she removed herself from his arm and stood.

Ranma watched her for a second before he also stood. They were both still transformed from the earlier training. They left once she grabbed her Garnet Rod. Ranma didn't object when Setsuna hesitantly wrapped her arm around his waist. Instead, he just returned his arm around her shoulder. Like that, the two made their way to the barracks, shocking a great number of guards.

XXXX

The next day, after training, Ranma was walking through the palace back towards his room, to where he knew Nemesis was waiting. As he walked, a woman was coming from the other way. Although not unusual seeing as hundreds resided in the palace at any given time, something about the woman stuck out.

She had shoulder length, light blue hair. She wore a white lab coat, making her probably a doctor or a scientist. The most notable part of her, however, was her smart glasses. With all the advanced Mercurian technology, glasses were a rare choice for people. Speaking of the planet, Ranma guessed that said woman was from there.

However, that wasn't what stood out to him. She seemed familiar, like he had seen her before. The woman had her eyes locked on his as they passed in a silent challenge. She smirked just before she went out of sight. Suddenly, Ranma stopped as a cold feeling swept through his lower spine. As he turned, his mind reeled back, frantically searching his memories. He found what he was looking for right when he saw her again. It was too late, however, as the woman plunged a needle into his arm.

Ranma cursed. The needle broke through his right humerus in a frighteningly familiar manner. The glowing, purple liquid was injected into him right when he reacted. His left fist slammed into her face, sending the woman into the wall with a crunch. Ranma hoped that she had broken her neck as he slipped into unconsciousness.

_The nightmares started with a familiar blackness. Ranma sighed. Fear was all but none existent for him now, so he was actually curious as to see what his amygdala would conjure when stimulated. He snorted as he waited. The woman, the one he had just hopefully killed, was one of the doctors who had captured and experimented on him right after Mary freed him. He had memorized all of their faces, as his darker half advised, but it wasn't enough to prevent this._

_Ranma's eyes snapped to the present as the scenes started forming. At first sight of what was in store for him, his eyes widened. Unable to wrench his gaze away, tears started forming despite his knowledge that it wasn't real._

XXXX

Kresh went still as he felt his master's emotions through his link. Marx glanced at him, but Kresh simply turned around and bolted down the halls. Marx, knowing something was wrong, chased after him. As they ran, Kresh made quick gestures to Marx. Marx nodded his understanding before cutting down a different hall and running for the Queen. Kresh reached his master moments later.

Marx lowered his shoulder instead of slowing when he reached the throne room door. The shoulder plate made contact, and the doors burst inward with a loud bang. Marx skidded to a stop and didn't take the time to bow when all of the occupants looked at him. "Ranma's in trouble!"

Crystal, formalities forgotten, stood and took quick strides down the steps before the throne. "Yuka, send a message to Senshi Mercury." The cat-woman nodded and quickly went to her task.

Queen Serenity hiked her dress up in order to run with Marx to where Kresh had informed him to go. They saw the small demon kneeling next to his master, a hole in the wall next to them. Ranma was out cold, but his large form shivered with tears leaking from his eyes. Occasionally, he would let out a groan or a whimper.

Marx inspected the hole while Crystal inspected Ranma. The only damage she could see was a small hole on his right arm that was leaking a small amount of blood. Instantly she suspected what was going on, but she waited for Mercury to be sure. She glanced behind them when she heard fast footsteps.

Yuka came running, the blue haired Senshi behind her. Mercury's face was purely professional, her emotions buried, when she saw Ranma's downed form. Knowing her duty, she knelt and examined him.

After a few moments, she looked up and said, "My Queen, he is currently under the effects of Miepothylocusoid Thylose." Yuka let out a loud curse as Crystal sighed and nodded, her suspicions confirmed. "The dosage was small, so with his tolerance he should be fine after an hour or two, or I could give him an acidic IV to cancel the effects. However, given the effects of this drug, it might be best to wait for it to be over. Waking him in the middle of these nightmares is the equivalent of waking a sleep-walker, only much more violent."

Crystal looked down at the shivering warrior. "As much as it pains me, we shall wait for his body to fight it off. With his strength, the risk would be too high to wake him." The Nekomata muttered angrily under her breath, but she didn't argue. Crystal looked up to Marx, "What can you tell me about what happened?"

Marx briefly glanced at Kresh before saying, "Someone else was here. Judging by this dent, Ranma must have hit them before going unconscious. The blood implies that they were wounded, but after that there is no trace as to where they could have gone. They may have had an accomplice who had helped get them away."

"Dark Moon?" Queen Serenity asked.

Marx frowned, "Most likely, but I can't be sure."

Crystal stood and brushed off her dress. "I won't take any chances. Senshi Mercury, inform the other Senshi. General Marx, get General Hisako to message the Outer Guard before rallying the guards with General Catharine. Yuka, take Senshi Nemesis to his room for rest." Her face was all business as she gripped her Ginzuisho tightly. She turned to the demon as the others moved to their tasks. "Kresh, you are free to do as you wish."

Kresh nodded once before following after Yuka, intending to guard over his master. Crystal walked down the hall, back towards the throne room.

XXXX

A tense silence settled over the Moon Kingdom as they waited. Around the palace, 500 royal guards stood in various defensive positions, led by General Hisako. Inside the courtyard, the 150 elite royal guards were led by General Marx and General Catharine. Senshi Jupiter and Senshi Mercury stood before the palace entrance, weapons drawn. Crystal sat on her throne, Ginzuisho bared, with Senshi Mars and Venus standing on either side. Senshi Pluto stood behind the Queen, hidden but ready for any attack. Senshi Saturn stood in the center of the throne room, her Silence Glaive poised in a defensive stance. Fifty elite royal guards lined the walls of the room, all under the command of Queen Serenity.

The other cities on the moon had been alerted and had their troops patrolling. Both Uranus and Neptune were under a sharp lookout for any incoming forces, both on their respective planets. They used deep radar scans to make sure nothing had penetrated the orbits. So far, nothing had shown up.

Marx folded his arms and looked to Catharine. The women had her eyes scanning the sky, a two-handed great sword drawn. With a sigh, Marx looked up to the sky as well. Something wasn't right.

After an hour of no response, Crystal spoke into a communicator, "Are there any signs of foreign ships?"

After a moment, there was a response. A female's voice answered, "None that I can see, Serenity-sama. However… there seemed to have been a disturbance. I can't explain it. Our scanners picked up a small object, far too small to be a ship or even a pod, moving at untraceable speeds on two occasions. We had dismissed them as glitches, but those are the only two occurrences I have seen. Both happened before the alert with a gap of less than an hour."

Crystal sighed, "I see… General Catharine, opinion?"

Marx saw the woman huff. The communicator linked the Queen with the Senshi and Generals. Catharine responded, "Sounds about right. Didn't we get the same report when your secretary and the current Senshi of Nemesis made their appearances, Serenity-sama?"

Crystal answered an affirmative, but Marx followed with a comment, "This isn't making any sense. For one, how would they get past the Space Keeper if he was keeping specific watch over the Dark Moon Kingdom? Secondly, how did their space traveling not raise the alarm when both Ranma's and Yuka's alerted every guard within the entire city?"

Crystal frowned and repeated the question to the control tower. After another moment, the female voice answered again, "Ah! I see it now. But… this isn't making any sense. There has been slight tampering with the alarming mechanism. It looks like it had been hit with a micro-EMP."

"Impossible!" Senshi Mercury shouted into the communicator. "We would never use our own technology against the main computer. There is no one outside of Mercury who could make such a device."

The female voice seemed annoyed, "Mercury-sama, I am just telling you as it is. I know my own technology. Although I don't like it, this is undoubtedly our technology." Senshi Mercury growled but didn't say anything. The voice continued, "Alright, I checked the history of the scans. Those glitches are going both ways. Whoever came is now gone."

Crystal sighed and relaxed slightly, "Alright, thank you, Hanako-san." She took a deep breath and thought about the situation. After a moment, she connected her communicator with the Outer Guard Senshi. "Senshi Uranus, Senshi Neptune, report."

Uranus's voice came in clear and strong after a delay. She sounded frustrated. "Nothing! There were two small glitches about an hour ago and two hours ago, but other than that, nothing. Whoever did it must still be on the moon."

"Those glitches were the enemy. They had prevented our alarm from picking up the transport, so it only seemed like glitches. From now on, I want all glitches reported to me immediately, no exceptions. Keep your armies at the ready," Crystal replied strongly. After an acknowledgement from both women, she closed their connection. She then said, "Senshi Saturn, you are to return to your planet to help with defense. Senshi Pluto, you are to return to the Time Gates. Report to me anything you see.

"General Marx, Catharine, Hisako, you are to dismiss the guard on a code two alert, double patrols." A chorus of agreement was heard before everyone moved to their respective tasks.

Crystal sighed as she rose from her throne. She waded her way through the scurrying people, trying to get to her room. She wasn't going to sleep well that night, but she wanted to be alone for the moment. Pluto was under orders to enter and wake the Queen for reports no matter what. She briefly informed everyone to leave their communicators on before leaving the chaos of the throne room.

After a brief stop in Ranma's room for a checkup, Queen Serenity made it to her room. She let out a weary sigh as a sense of dread entered her. The war was almost here. She slipped under her covers, ignoring the sunset outside. She opted to not change out of her dress as to be more prepared if anything happened. Dark purple eyes still open, she stared at the ceiling and thought about her current situation.

Senshi Pluto growled at the Time Gates. The years of Order that Crystal's presence had built up was finally destroyed by Ranma's overwhelming Chaos. The two forces battling made it almost impossible to get a clear vision of the palace. Images of various locations in the palace flashed before turning black. So far, nothing was out of the ordinary, but it was too chaotic to get a clear vision of the future. She caught flashes of the war taking place, but she couldn't tell if that would be the next day or the next week… or even next year.

Setsuna sighed and tried to make sense of things.

XXXX

Yuka sat in a chair next to Ranma's bed. Her tails flicked violently at her helplessness. It had already been twelve hours, currently sunrise, and Ranma still hadn't woken. At some time during the night she had fallen asleep in the chair before the rays of the early sun woke her. Senshi Mercury had made several visits, confirming that it was still the drug and not a poison. A bag of the acidic IV lay next to the bed, ready for use if it came to it.

Yuka couldn't stand seeing Ranma like this again, but she knew there was little she could do short of forcing him to wake. Nemesis also stood in the room, her emotions masked. Yuka was reminded that the woman had also been there watching Ranma go through this as well.

Kresh sat on the floor, his back leaning against the bed frame. His animalistic eyes were glaring at the wall, frustrated that he couldn't help his master. He was told that this would be over after one hour; so far, it had been twelve. He was getting ready to force the 'IV' into his master, damn the consequences.

Mercury entered the room for another checkup, gaining the attention of all the other inhabitants. She worked quickly but afterwards reported no change. She had no idea why Ranma was still unconscious. Given the fact that he had built up a major tolerance and only slight traces of the drug in his bone marrow, he should have been up hours ago. Something wasn't right, but she couldn't find anything else in his system after running several scans.

Mercury left the room and reported Ranma's condition to the Queen. If there were no changes soon, Crystal was going to order the IV. Right after Mercury left, Setsuna appeared in the throne room. She bowed before the Queen before saying, "The Time Gates are getting too chaotic for me to view properly. I was unable to tell of the exact day they will attack, but I _could_ see that there are currently no Dark Moon agents inside the palace."

Before Crystal could respond, Luna suddenly ran into the throne room, in cat form. "Serenity-sama! We just received word that Earth is rebelling!"

Crystal's eyes widened, "What?"

Luna panted, but she continued her report, "The royal family has been assassinated. An Earthling by the name of Queen Beryl is leading her forces against the Moon Kingdom."

The Queen was silent for a moment. In a quiet voice, she asked, "And General Endymion?" She knew of her daughter's relationship with the man and approved of it despite what the council said.

Luna seemed hesitant, "It was reported that his four lieutenants are leading these forces. We are to assume that means that he has also turned against us."

"Can you confirm his intent?" Crystal asked with a frown.

Luna shook her head. "He has not been seen since his parents were killed. However, the council already passed the order to kill any Earthling on sight."

Crystal finally looked angry. "Overruled!"

Luna seemed sad. "Serenity-sama… It was decided on an eighteen to zero vote, it was unanimous." She Queen's eyes flared, but she could do nothing. The council could overrule her orders by a vote of eighty percent or more. She dismissed Luna and informed the Generals and Senshi of this new predicament. Frustrated, Crystal decided for a walk along the outdoor corridors to clear her head.

As she walked, Crystal was surprised to see her daughter running. Selene collapsed into her arms, crying. Crystal hugged her, whispering soothing words.

When Selene calmed down enough, she managed to choke out, "They… They wanted to k-kill him!"

Crystal closed her eyes and hugged her daughter to her chest. She said in a soft tone, "I know, my daughter, I know. I tried to stop the council, but…" Selene cried harder.

Crystal winced when she heard a report of Endymion sighted at the Lunar Palace over her communicator. Elite royal guards moved towards the duo, asking if they were alright. Crystal merely nodded and guided her daughter back indoors.

As they walked the halls, Crystal sighed. There was supposed to be a celebration that day. It was Ranma's second year since he had been given a chance at life, so she was planning on throwing a private party for him. Now she didn't even know if he would wake up that day. With that thought, she decided to simply administer the antidote.

Crystal and Selene entered the Senshi's room. With the Ginzuisho, Crystal gave a Kresh a physical barrier of magic before telling him he could give Ranma the IV. Kresh moved quickly. He briefly strapped on his shield before picking up the bag. Scanning his master's healthy arm, he selected a healthy vein and inserted the needle.

After a few minutes of waiting, Ranma's tear-stained eyes suddenly flew open. He screamed as he frantically scanned the room. His eyes saw only a hint of Kresh before he lashed out with a vicious punch, not taking the time to process what he was seeing. The demon lifted his shield. First, Crystal's barrier broke before Kresh was launched back into the wall. He pushed himself out of the hole and approached Ranma again.

Ranma, for his part, was still screaming. Tears blurred his vision, but he understood that he finally made contact with that bastard. With a cry of rage, he jumped off his torture table and attacked. The bastard was more skilled than he thought and managed to dodge or deflect all of his attacks. Regardless, Ranma was determined to get his justice for what had been done.

With a wild scream, Ranma used all the magic in the room to freeze it. Snow instantly covered the ground, the walls layered with ice. He gathered all the ki he could into his hands, "_FUBUK-"_ and promptly vanished in a breath of wind.

Ranma's voice trailed off when a calm overtook him and his blurry vision filled with white. His mind caught up with him and he recognized it as Nemesis's special teleport. When a blur of purple and green filled his vision, he wiped his eyes. His vision cleared enough to see Nemesis standing there, a look of pure sorrow on her face.

Ranma cleared his raw throat before asking, "What's wrong?"

Almost instantly, Nemesis's look cleared and a smile of happiness graced her face. Before Ranma could blink, she enveloped him in a tight hug. Ranma coughed as his lungs were crushed, but he weakly returned the gesture with one arm. It was then that Ranma realized what had happened. "Who… Who was I attacking?" A sickening guilt spread through him.

Nemesis didn't release him, but she eased up on the pressure. "Kresh." Ranma blew out a sigh of relief. Even if he _had_ hurt the demon, Kresh would only get stronger because of it.

Seeing that Ranma was better now, Nemesis performed her special teleportation again. They appeared back in the frozen room.

Ranma couldn't help but laugh at the spectacle when he returned. Both Crystal and her daughter were covered in goosebumps and shivering, their teeth chattering. It was humorous to see the Queen in a position where she didn't look like her usual stunningly regal self. Kresh himself was used to such weather and was relieved to see his master recovered. Yuka's fur allowed her to face the brutal cold without much difficulty.

It was then that Nemesis released Ranma, but she made sure she was still holding his hand. Yuka quickly latched onto Ranma's right side. Ranma raised an eyebrow at her behavior, but she quickly turned and wiped an eye, claiming that snow had gotten into it. Once the 'snow' was out, Yuka had a brilliant smile on her face as she offered him a lemon.

Ranma smirked at her and opened his mouth instead of grabbing it. Yuka rolled her eyes and held it out before his face. Ranma took a big bite, like he usually did, peel and all. He quickly ate the rest of it, and Nekomata wiped the juices off on his pants. Ranma then wrapped his arm around her and whispered his thanks into her ear. Yuka just nodded and hugged him back.

When all of that was done and over with, Ranma turned to the shivering Queen. He rolled his eyes and used Kresh's magic to remove the snow and ice along with heating the room. He then asked, "What happened?"

The Queen regained her composure, but she still had her goosebumps. "You tell us. We find you unconscious in a hallway next to a big hole in the wall, you stay unconscious for thirteen hours, and even then you didn't wake up until we forced your body's ph to lower levels."

Ranma frowned, "So she got away then? Damn. Well, I was just walking when I saw some girl who I thought looked familiar. Once she passed by me, I realized she was one of the doctors who experimented on me after I escaped Sir Anquish's prison. Right when I turned around she injected me with that damn drug. I managed to get a hit in before the drug took me."

"So she's Dark Moon then?" Crystal asked.

Ranma nodded, "Definitely."

The Queen sighed, "Then it's time. Saturn has returned to her planet to assist in watching the borders. Pluto is now at the Time Gates, watching for any attacks. Apparently this woman used Mercurian technology to disable our alarm before space traveling here, and for a final piece of information, Earth is rebelling right now. They are under a kill on sight order."

Ranma saw Selene flinch. "The council's doing?"

Crystal nodded. "Yes, but I can see their reasoning. A 'Queen Beryl' is leading the four Terran lieutenants against the Moon Kingdom."

Ranma frowned, "What about Endymion?" He saw Selene flinch again. "I know he wouldn't do something like this. As much as he doesn't like it, he would pick…" He didn't finish his comment, remembering the other occupants in the room.

Crystal nodded, knowing what he meant. He was going to say he would choose the princess's side. "Right now we are on high alert. We need your help on this part. We had originally planned on letting you recover on your own, but for some reason the drug held you for longer than normal. Would you happen to know why?"

Ranma shrugged, his pale form beginning to return some of its color. "Not really. Maybe the drug was concentrated, maybe they used knowledge that they gained from the experiments to make it more potent for Nemesisians, I don't know."

Crystal nodded her understanding. "Shall we continue to the war room?" Ranma nodded. The duo moved to their business while Selene slipped away. Nemesis returned back to her planet. Yuka followed the Queen while Kresh followed Ranma, both trailing behind their 'masters.'

As they walked, Crystal handed Ranma an earpiece with a thin microphone sticking out. Ranma slipped the communicator on just as they entered the war room. The female who had previously spoken with the Queen has hunched over various screens, constantly scanning for any glitches. Others milled about the room doing their own business.

Ranma took in all of the chaos of the room before shaking his head. His place was on the battlefields, not in the headquarters. The Inner Guard Senshi were relieved to see Ranma recovered, but they soon moved to their positions as body guards for the Queen. Crystal examined the room, and, when finding everything in good order, left with five Senshi in tow.

As the two discussed plans for the war, Ranma noticed that they weren't heading for the throne room. As a matter of fact, it almost looked like they were headed for… Ranma smiled when they reached their new destination, allowing his thoughts to drift away from the war temporarily.

The group had reached the ballroom. Instead of a large crowd and live band, inside were simply the music emitter Crystal had used before and various people that Ranma knew. General Marx, his wife General Hisako, the husbands of Senshi Mars and Mercury, Senshi Pluto, and an expressionless Princess Serenity waited inside.

Ranma turned his head to Crystal with a confused smile. The woman hooked her arm in his and led him in. "Whether you remember or not, this is your second year since you've been on our side. I wanted to have a private celebration. Originally all of the Outer Senshi were supposed to be here, but current circumstances obviously interfere with that. Only Senshi Pluto could make it here."

Ranma took the Queen's hand in response. As the music started and the dance begun, he muttered, "Thank you." The silver haired woman smiled and they relaxed into the dance. Ranma's skill and grace had not been lost in time as the two had kept their promise of meeting for the occasional dance.

As the first song ended, a faster one took its place and the other couples took to the floor. Ranma shook his head in amusement when Senshi Venus and Jupiter danced together. Yuka had managed to drag Kresh onto the floor, the silent demon unable to protest as Yuka led him through the motions. Senshi Pluto stood alone at the sidelines, emotionlessly taking place as a guard for the duration. Selene watched the proceedings before she was forced to go outside, loneliness tugging her heart.

After the third song, Ranma was breathing heavy and felt much better, the war forgotten. He briefly excused himself from the Queen before approaching the stone-faced Senshi. He performed a formal bow before the green haired woman and asked for a dance. Setsuna hesitated only for a moment before smiling and allowing herself to be led to the dance floor.

Ranma and Setsuna grinned heartily as they danced together. Queen Serenity smiled at them from her throne. While dancing, Ranma noticed Selene had return. She was currently dancing with a newcomer in a black tuxedo. Ranma smiled at the disguised prince before returning his attention to Setsuna.

Crystal returned to the floor after the seventh song played. Just then, a fast paced, informal song began playing. Ranma transformed himself into a female and laughed with the others as they constantly switched partners and enjoyed a festive freestyle. Ranma barely noticed both Selene and Endymion slip from the room before she grabbed Kresh and swung the grinning demon around wildly.

When the song ended Ranma had his arms around Crystal on one side and Setsuna on the other after doing a challenging dance involving only their legs. The three laughed together after that. Ranma reluctantly excused herself from the women and made her way to the balcony.

"Geez, keep the mask on; you look prettier that way," Ranma commented when she saw the duo in a passionate embrace. The two quickly separated at the voice, their heavy blush causing Ranma to laugh.

Endymion quickly placed his mask and hat back on. He gave a brief smile to his friend before his previous look of seriousness returned. "Ranma, Beryl is spiraling out of control." His arm was still around Princess Serenity.

Ranma's look became serious as well. "I know. What's going on with the Terran forces?"

Endymion's eyes hardened. "Something's wrong. My lieutenants are being controlled by someone, along with their entire armies. I tried to gather everyone still loyal to me, but that turned out to be only my personal troops. My 2,000 stand nothing against the millions my lieutenants hold. Also, Beryl has given her troops some form of power-ups. Even I am hard-pressed to defeat a single troop under her command."

Ranma folded her arms. "What are their objectives?"

"They wished to conquer the whole galaxy. After they finish conquering Earth, they are going to move straight to the moon. I don't like this. This Queen Beryl is almost unbeatable. She has some… thing with her. I've only seen her in battle once, but she summoned this huge pillar of energy from the sky that slaughtered dozens of my troops in a single blow. She brags when she fights, however, and more than once praised a 'Metaria-sama.'"

"Definitely Dark Moon Kingdom. What are you going to do?" Ranma asked, her mind going back into full-blown war mode.

"What can I do?" Endymion asked angrily. "I sent the last of my troops off to their deaths to hold off those troops for as long as possible. I am here to protect the Princess from harm."

"Oh Endymion-sama," Princess Serenity whispered, tears of sorrow in her eyes. "I'm so sorry."

Endymion turned his attention back to her, giving Ranma the cue to leave. However, as she returned to the ballroom she heard a commotion inside.

The music died out just as Ranma saw the newest occupant in the room. In his usual blood red cloak, the Space Keeper stood in the center of the room looking all business. His eyes located Ranma, Crystal, and Setsuna before he spoke, "I am sorry I couldn't make it here sooner. A black hole had opened three galaxies from here, dragging my attention away from my post at the Dark Moon for only an hour. In that time they had managed to slip masses of troops past me. After I fixed the black hole, I came here as soon as possible."

The relaxation that the celebration brought died. "How far are these troops?" Queen Serenity asked.

The Space Keeper looked up into the ceiling, almost like he could see the sky beyond it. "Two ships remain outside of your orbit. From those ships they have been sending people out regularly. The most recent were six individuals onto separate planets."

Several eyes widened at that. Even Crystal looked stunned as she argued, "Our technology would have picked up such movements."

The Space Keeper shrugged his gaunt shoulders. "Technology can be mistaken. I have felt these disturbances, I know them to have happened."

Crystal pressed a button on the side of her earpiece communicator. "Has anyone noticed any signs of activity?" No response.

Ranma noticed that no audio had reached his own earpiece. A quick glance showed that all of the other Senshi were experiencing the same problem. Senshi Mercury cursed and inspected her communicator. Several seconds later she said, "These have been tampered with! An internal virus has been planted inside our main computer. It is refusing transmissions."

Crystal's took immediate action. "General Marx, Hisako, gather the troops and inform General Catharine of this. Senshi Mercury, get to the war room and fix our communications. Senshi Pluto, check what's going on with the Time Gates; report back in exactly five minutes. Ranma, do what you wish. It's time."

Ranma looked straight at the Space Keeper, the man silently watching the happenings. "Xycell, can you help me? I need to get to where those six are."

The aged man nodded, "I can take you to their exact locations."

The group left the ballroom. As they walked, Ranma looked to the Space Keeper. "I just want to wait for the report from Senshi Pluto before we go. I want to know exactly which place needs to most help."

At the Time Gates, Setsuna fell to her knees. The images flickered between a frozen wasteland and pure blackness. Pluto, Setsuna's currently unprotected home planet, had been completely annihilated. All of her people, the cities, the _life_ had been frozen to death. Ice covered the entire surface. Nothing was left. As the tears fell, Setsuna quickly scanned the other locations.

Between the flickering images, Pluto saw Uranus, Neptune, Saturn, Jupiter, and Nemesis also under attack. The Senshi and warriors were still standing as they faced off against their respective opponents. With this information, Setsuna quickly teleported back into the Lunar Palace throne room, where she felt Crystal was at.

Setsuna stumbled when she appeared in the throne room. She steadied herself before she fell, however, and managed to choke out, "Pluto is dead."

There were several gasps at that. "…Dead?" Crystal asked slowly. How could a whole planet die so fast without them knowing?

"Everyone!" Setsuna affirmed. She closed her eyes and finished her report, "They are attacking the planets. It's too late for Neptune, but Uranus can still live if help gets there in time. Saturn is holding its own against their attacker, but they are slowly losing. One man is slaughtering the army on Nemesis, but that can be put off for some time as it is slow progress. The enemy has yet to penetrate the tunnels on Jupiter."

Ranma cursed at the news. He looked to his demon. "Kresh, stay here and protect the Queen at all costs. You have full permission to use the moon's magic." He turned to the Space Keeper with wild eyes. "The most reasonable would be to help Uranus. Please, take me there." The red garbed man nodded once, grabbed Ranma and space traveled away, the balance between Order and Chaos in the Moon Kingdom enough to allow him to do so now.

Serenity continued issuing orders, "Senshi, the enemy is attacking your planets. Your first duty is to your people, not me. Go to them and defend. Kresh will be enough to keep me alive." The Senshi didn't argue as special teleportations allowed them to reach their respective planets.

Crystal gripped the Ginzuisho painfully as she sat on her throne, Kresh standing next to her. She didn't look as the elite royal guard entered the room and took various positions. She trembled once before her head snapped up and she looked straight at the crying Senshi Pluto.

In a clear, strong tone, Crystal said, "Time Keeper, you are to return to the Time Gates, as is your duty. I have been a fool to prevent this beforehand, but I understand now that you should do what you were meant to do. You are now under no restrictions for viewing the timelines. Do what you believe is best to protection Time. You are free to control Time as you wish; however, I place only three restrictions on you before you are dismissed. You may not travel through Time for any other reason besides to fix interferences, you may not allow Time to stop for any reason, and finally… you may not leave your post at the Gates."

"What?" Setsuna asked, stunned. "I shall fight! I will not stand by and watch while the Moon Kingdom, MY Kingdom, is destroyed! I will die fighting by your side!"

Crystal smiled sadly. "You don't have any choice in this matter. Ranma and I both agreed on this. Goodbye, Setsuna. May you find peace in the remainder of your life."

Setsuna could say nothing as she was teleported out of the throne room. Tears fell from her eyes more freely. She curled into a ball and cried before the gates. Her agony only increased when she realized what was going to happen. She was never going to see any of her friends again. As a matter of fact, she had to watch them all die. Ranma was all but gone forever, invisible to the Gates unless he was in Crystal's presence. With a sob, Setsuna remembered Ranma's promise that she would not die in this war. She cried helplessly, unable to disobey the Order Generator's commands for as long as Crystal lived. As she cried, however, Setsuna made sure to keep an eye on the gates. She watched the Senshi fighting valiantly against their designated opponents, but Ranma's fight with whoever was on Uranus was hidden to her.

XXXX

Chiyo had been the first to arrive on her target planet: Pluto. She felt no satisfaction as she slowly froze the planet over. The Plutoians resisted the brutal temperatures for a time. As they were so far from the sun, the people had a natural resistance to cold temperatures. However, the resistance wasn't enough as things approached almost absolute zero temperatures. The people died in mass. Once she was sure that no one was left, Chiyo entered a scout vessel that she had spared from her assault. She quickly hi-jacked it and left the dead planet's orbit.

From outer space, one could best understand what was happening to Neptune. The deep blue planet, once known for water covering almost its entire surface, experienced a slight change. Even from the distance, one could see a sickly blue gas forming in the atmosphere. Plague had ignored the Senshi of the planet and immediately took to extinction. His toxic gas poisoned and suffocated everything that lived on the planet. It polluted the water, killing all of the marine life and the towns that were submerged under the surface. The few towns that remained above the water faired no better as the gas seeped through and killed off the rest of the people. Plague moved quickly around the planet and saw that the Senshi of Neptune was still struggling to live through the gas inside her palace, but she would die at any minute. He also left the planet in a Neptunian vessel, leaving the water planet permanently scarred by the toxic atmosphere.

It was after those two events when Ranma made it to Uranus. He thanked the Space Keeper, who in turn told him how to contact him for further travel. As soon as the Space Keeper returned to Space to do his duty, Ranma surveyed the battle before him.

Enormous amounts of power could be felt coming from Senshi Uranus's opponent - Yusuke. The Senshi was supported by thousands of other women in soldier's uniforms. Hundreds of corpses already littered the battlefield, and every second dozens more were falling.

The air was uncomfortably cold, even for Ranma. He wasted no time as he transformed and jumped into the battle. As he ran, he used magic to deflect endless ice shards from impaling him and the other soldiers.

Senshi Uranus grunted as she parried another blow from Yusuke's ice broadsword. Her scimitar lashed out in an advanced maneuver that Yusuke parried easily. Senshi Uranus suddenly rolled to the left as ice shards pierced the area she had previously been standing. She struggled to get her bearings and deflect Yusuke's next attack, but she was too slow.

After hearing a clang, Uranus gasped at what she saw. Ranma stood protectively before her, his scythe blocking the broadsword. Ranma didn't look back at her as he glared at the white haired man.

Yusuke sneered at Ranma. "So the gimp wants to play with the big boys?"

Ranma didn't feel like responding as he ripped magic from Nemesis. He didn't like what he was seeing. Yusuke was surrounded in an aura of power, much like Kresh when he uses a planet's magic. Yusuke's power equaled that of a Senshi's.

As if picking up Ranma's thought, Uranus gasped out between breaths, "He is stealing my magic! I don't know how, but he is taking magic straight from Uranus and using it!" Yusuke grinned viciously at her.

Ranma's eyes widened. That shouldn't be possible. To take magic from a planet was for Senshi only. Besides them, only demons could steal magic. Yet, Ranma was forced to agree with Uranus as the aura perfectly matched that of the Senshi behind him. Ranma shoved forward on his scythe, dislodging him from the parry, and struck.

Senshi Uranus provided support as she cast World Shaking after World Shaking. While Yusuke may have limitless magic at his disposal - and he seemed to be using it to freeze the whole planet over - he was still too slow to keep up with Ranma in combat. The man proved troublesome, however, as he would often turn his body where the scythe would strike into steel or some other impenetrable metal.

Getting tired of not gaining an advantage, Ranma suddenly jumped back next to Senshi Uranus, still defending her from the endless ice shards. Together, they started a barrage of Senshi spells.

"_CHAOS BOLT! CHAOS BOLT! CHAOS BOLT!"_ Ranma shouted, the black orbs forming as fast as he could speak.

Next to him, Uranus was shouting, "_WORLD SHAKING! WORLD SHAKING! WORLD SHAKING!"_

The black and gold spells hammered into an ice shield that Yusuke formed. Despite his power, the man was unable to defend himself and continue his assault. The ice shards stopped forming as the shield of ice became thicker.

Ranma grew goosebumps as the air continued chilling. Deciding to use that to his advantage, he channeled a large portion of magic into his hands as he shouted, "_FUBUKI SOUSOU!_" His ki mixed with the cold in the air before empowering with the magic. Ranma tossed the massive orb at Yusuke.

The white haired man wasn't prepared for when his ice shield shattered and an explosion tore into him. He wasn't given a break as Uranus was still sending World Shakings at him. Three more gold orbs slammed into him before Ranma moved.

Transformed, Ranma was able to ignore the fatigue brought upon by the magic Fubuki Sousou. An intense gale of wind cleared the debris and snowy dust from where the man ended up along with pinning him. Right before Ranma's eyes, Yusuke's skin healed from the disgusting black and blood splattered form to healthy skin. However, Yusuke didn't expect Ranma to be there so soon.

The man's eyes widened when he saw the scythe descending towards him. He tried to move, to invoke his unlimited magic, to do something, but it was too late. Ranma decapitated him cleanly. Not willing to take any chances, Ranma also destroyed the head in a burst of magic.

Ranma allowed a sigh of relief as the air began heating up naturally again. Uranus staring at him, breathing hard. Ranma shouldered his bloody scythe and said, "Like I said, I will fight by your side and save your ass." He smirked at the thousands of women surrounding them. As the girls realized that another _male_ was on their planet, they grew looks of hostility and pure hatred. Several began to move to take action against him.

"What happened to the communicators? I've tried to reach Neptune and the Queen for over an hour now, but I haven't gotten a response," Uranus asked, her frustration and relief both being heard in her tone.

Ranma suddenly looked saddened. He sighed and answered, "Uranus… I…" He closed his eyes, repressing the sorrow that tried to well up. He eventually opened his eyes and said in a neutral voice, "A virus shut down our communications. We have Mercurians trying to fix it right now."

Uranus breathed a sigh of relief. "So Neptune is fine then?"

Ranma didn't answer her as he looked to the sky and yelled, "Xycell!"

Uranus frowned. "Neptune IS alright, isn't she?" Ranma didn't look at her. "…Ranma?"

_Kresh, Uranus is fine now. Which place needs the most help?_ Ranma asked through his demon master tattoo, channeling magic into it. A man in a blood red cloak appeared next to Ranma, looking at him expectantly.

"Ranma, please tell me Neptune is alright," Uranus pleaded, looking fearful.

_We can see it from here, Lord Ranma, Saturn is lost,_ the Guardian Urgok replied hesitantly, his reply coming through the tattoo rather than the link. _Jupiter looks like it could live with your help._

"Take me to Jupiter," Ranma told the Space Keeper. A crushing sorrow filled his heart, _Hotaru-chan… I'm so sorry I couldn't keep my promise._ Tears formed in his eyes, but he tried to blink them back.

"Oh goddess no…" Uranus looked desperate. "Please, Ranma… RANMA!" The male Senshi couldn't bear to look back at her as he and the Keeper vanished.

XXXX

Earlier, Senshi Saturn had been able to hold her own against the invader. It was a woman, Tachi if the plants were an indication. The Senshi of Destruction had forbidden the Saturn Army from interfering with the fight. They could only get in the way with how much power she was wielding. However, no matter what Senshi Saturn did, Tachi would always be able to counter or escape it.

Hotaru knew of Tachi's special ability to move through plants. As a matter of fact, the first thing she had done was destroy all vegetation in the area. However, this woman seemed to have an endless supply of magic as she grew whole forests in the area without any effort. Hotaru frowned as she destroyed yet another forest. It had to be a mistake, but… it seemed like Tachi was getting her supply of magic from the same place Hotaru was: from Saturn itself.

Several times the two had entered a melee battle, the glaive verses Tachi's twin blades. However, neither was able to score a clean hit on the other, even when Tachi summoned vines to restrain Hotaru. The Senshi had easily cut through the vines with her glaive before retaliating.

The standstill between the two women was broken when someone else landed on the planet with a Neptunian spaceship. Saturn's Army tried to identify who came, and the moment they saw the man they recognized him and attacked. Plague easily defeated the army, hiding in his shadow while poisonous gases killed them.

Hotaru watched helplessly as a strange man grabbed Tachi and they vanished in a shadow. She figured the man had to be Plague. Hotaru felt a massive drain on Saturn's magic as the air began to transform into hazardous gases. She frantically searched for the invaders, but with them hiding in shadows it was impossible to find them.

Storms raged across Saturn as different colors of gas filtered into the atmosphere. Hotaru fell to her knees, choking on the toxin. The poisonous gas became thick enough to block the sun and completely alter the color of the planet from outside view.

Senshi Saturn realized that this was the end. Despite all of her power, she was helpless to prevent this from happening. She felt her life slipping away as she vomited. When her vision began to blur, Hotaru forced herself up to her feet. She held the Silence Glaive above her head. If she were to die, then she would take them with her.

"_DEATH… REBOR-"_ her voice hitched as she stopped.

From Hotaru's shadow, a black-gloved hand reached out. The hand held a green, curved handle of a sword. The blade was stretched out and currently impaled in Hotaru's abdomen. Hotaru coughed once, blood filling her mouth. She struggled to finish the spell, but suddenly the sword was jerked to the side, eviscerating the Senshi.

Hotaru collapsed onto the dirty, lifeless ground. Already almost dead from the toxic gases, the gaping wound in her side was the final push. Hotaru died with her deep purple eyes open, staring lifelessly into the barren land of her planet, the last Saturnian. The Silence Glaive slipped from her fingers. In a burst of light, the legendary weapon vanished from existence.

Plague, along with Tachi, appeared back inside the Neptunian spaceship. The gases didn't enter the vessel, so the air was fine to breathe. Plague wordlessly started the ship and left the planet behind.

XXXX

Ranma appeared on Jupiter next to the Space Keeper. The battle was taking place only a dozen yards or so away, so he quickly sprinted over to help. The Space Keeper vanished.

Senshi Jupiter stood alone amongst hundreds of bodies. She was all that remained between the Dark Moon and the tunnels leading into Jupiter's true civilization. Across from her was not one but two of the combat squad. Chiyo had just arrived by a Plutoian vessel to assist Athena on her siege on the Jupiterian mines.

Senshi Jupiter unflinchingly glared at the two women. Her magic was pushed forth, at the ready. She bellowed, "_SPARKLING WIDE PRESSURE!_" Not stopping there, she shouted, "_SUPREME THUNDER DRAGON!"_ As that spell formed, she saw the two enemies dodge the first attack. Growling, Jupiter yelled, "_JUPITER OAK EVOLUTION!"_

Right before Ranma reached Senshi Jupiter, he was forced to dodge the barrage of green orbs. After the attack, he let out a sigh of a relief. A quick check over his shoulder showed the two combat squad members looking none-the-worse-for-wear. Ayame caught sight of Ranma and lashed out with a punch, mistaking him for the enemy. Ranma calmly caught the punch, forcing her to realize who he was.

Jupiter nodded once to Ranma before they both looked to their opponents. Jupiter muttered to him, "I don't know how, but both of them are stealing Jupiter's magic."

Ranma cursed, but his eyes remained on their opponents. "Here too?"

Jupiter suddenly shuddered, "Oh goddess." The air began chilling. "J-Jupiter's reserves were just severely drained." Ranma guessed the freezing effect to be spread across the entire planet, just like what Yusuke had been trying on Uranus. However, Ranma noticed that the air was freezing faster.

Athena spoke up from across them in her dead voice, "I may not be able to enter the tunnels to do my mission, but Frostbite can finish it for me from the outside."

"Oh, thank you for informing me, Athena. I really appreciate it," Ranma commented, shouldering his scythe. He barely remembered that Frostbite was Chiyo's codename, but at least now he knew which of the two to kill first. His eyes were the cold of the Soul of Ice, keeping his mind off of Hotaru.

The two combat squad members narrowed their eyes at him. "You should be dead…" Athena drawled, her black eyes regarding him carefully. "And yet you are a… Senshi. I do not recognize your uniform. Which planet do you protect if not Jupiter?"

Ranma shrugged as he slipped into an offensive stance. "Weren't we trained to simply do our task and not waste time talking?" His comment was purely for discontinuing the topic. He recognized the fact that Chiyo was freezing the planet, and that they had time to spare before that finished.

Athena's dark eyes caught sight of the scythe balanced in his left hand. "Ah, Nemesis then. That explains the black plates. Golem is currently eradicating your people as you pretend to help here."

Ranma ripped magic from the planet in question, filling him up. He forgot who Golem was, but it didn't matter currently. He guessed that it was Makusu, who was a melee fighter, and no one was more superior at fighting than Nemesisian soldiers. His father could hold out while Ranma eliminated the other combat squad members.

Instead of commenting, Ranma simply charged forward. Jupiter was quick to follow. Ranma used his magic to try to counter Chiyo's, to try to prevent the whole planet from freezing over. However, the amount of magic he was channeling through himself to do so was too limited by his body. He didn't understand how they were using the magic of planets nor how they could use so much of it.

At the same time, Ranma was also using his magic to cancel any ice shards Chiyo formed. That said, his magic was completely useless as he diverted all of it to stopping the white haired woman. Even so, Chiyo was still managing to freeze the planet, albeit much more slowly. Ranma figured he had cut the time left from ten minutes to maybe thirty.

Athena drew her dagger and parried Ranma's first strike. She back-flipped when he lashed out with a quick kick. Ranma was upon her again even before she returned to her feet, surprising the black haired woman. She stumbled as she parried another strike. Ranma kept up the pressure as he feinted and caught her with another kick.

Chiyo moved to help her comrade, but Ayame was there first. The brown haired Senshi flew in with a sidekick that Chiyo gracefully sidestepped. The Samui sibling formed a snowstorm and vanished in it. Jupiter didn't hesitate; she had trained for such a thing. "_SUPREME THUNDER DRAGON!"_ The massive dragon formed and tore through the whirling snow. Chiyo quickly appeared outside the storm as there was no place for her inside. The moment Jupiter caught sight of her, she charged in again. Chiyo held up her hand and formed hundreds of ice shards, all aimed at the Senshi, but Ranma's magic quickly melted them.

Ranma was upon Athena again while she was still falling backwards. She blocked his first attack but a quick kick from under her launched her straight up. Ranma followed. He elbowed her back to the ground, a bone crunching from the blow.

Athena glared up at Ranma, a hand over her cracked ribs. Magic almost instantly healed the damage before she stood up. Magic exploded around her, her black eyes dancing with power. Ranma landed across from her and filled himself with more of Nemesis's magic. He unleashed a gale of wind before swinging his scythe sharply, yelling, "_REAPER'S HARROWING!"_ The massive wave of destruction formed in the wake of the scythe. He cursed when he noticed his concentration on stopping Chiyo slip, but a quick check showed no ramifications as he diverted his magic back into that.

The wind did nothing to the woman, parting before her aura. She didn't even budge as a blast of magic canceled the incoming Harrowing. Athena then formed an attack of her own. A ball of ki first appeared in her hand, causing Ranma to charge forward. Athena gracefully dodged Ranma's attacks as she pumped magic into her attack. First, the white ki became surrounded in flames. Then, electricity crackled around her hand, adding to the attack. Her arm became surrounded by flakes of ice as she added another element into the attack.

Ranma viciously attacked and even managed to score in a few hits as the woman continued forming her attack. However, she had also turned her entire body into an impenetrable metal that took almost no damage from his blows. When the hybrid ball glowed with power, almost blinding to look out, he expected her to finally toss it. His eyes narrowed, however, when it shrunk to the size of a marble. His mind quickly ran through possible reasons before widening when she tossed it at him.

Ranma brought all of his magic forth, away from stopping Chiyo. He shot off an empowered Fubuki Sousou followed by two Chaos Bolts, not bothering with the incantations as they would take time he didn't have. The moment the attacks left his hands, he forced his magic into the ground and pulled up a plateau-shaped rock in front of him. He heard deafening explosions on the other side of the rock before a shockwave tore through everything.

Right before the rock barrier exploded, Ranma raised another slab in front of him – behind the miniature plateau – and transformed the rock into black copper. He panted hard as he ripped more magic from Nemesis. The shockwave rolled past him, a flurry of debris shooting by along with slamming into his metal shield. To Ranma's horror, the black copper managed to dent before it was ruptured by the explosion.

Ranma grit his teeth as his body was launched back. He used his magic to heal his body from the constant cuts and blows that the storm produced as it carried him. When he finally stopped moving, Ranma looked perfectly fine albeit exhausted. Around him, however, was devastation. Gouges, craters, debris, and other signs of destruction surrounded the male Senshi. Ranma picked up his scythe, surprisingly still intact, and charged forward through the residue of the attack.

XXXX

Senshi Uranus stood before her army. Hundreds of thousands of warriors now stood behind her. Uranus's agony over her lover had been replaced by an unrestrained fury. She wanted nothing more than to kill the bastards. Her knuckles were white as she gripped her scimitar. When she caught sight of a ship entering the atmosphere, she began running towards where it would land with a battle cry. The army struggled to follow.

The Senshi unleashed a flurry of World Shakings at the Neptunian vessel even before the hatch opened, not carrying if it was friendly or not. Her love was dead - anyone with a ship from Neptune could only be the enemy. The satisfaction of the ship exploding did nothing to ease the pain in her heart.

They were currently at the grounds outside of her palace. Miranda Castle was, in fact, not located on its namesake. The moon Miranda was inhospitable. As an outer planet, the palace was not connected to a city or civilization. Instead, it was a building for military purposes only and was the main location for the army.

Miranda Castle was located at the bottom of a large valley. The army, 500,000 strong, filled the valley almost to the brim, stretching out up the surrounding hills. The valley was mostly barren of vegetation, but there were a few scattered shrubs.

The Neptunian ship had landed on a flat part of the ridge surrounding the valley. Senshi Uranus was the only one outside of the valley, her mad dash to destroy the ship giving her a lead over the army. Now, however, the army waited for her on the slopes of the valley, less than twenty feet away from the rim.

It was that one shrub on the flat ridge, that same ridge where the Neptunian ship roared in flames and billowed thick smoke, that produced the very thing that would result in the death of every living thing on Uranus. It was those twenty feet that stood between escape and death for those 500,000 female soldiers. It was her mad dash for revenge that resulted in the most painful decision Senshi Uranus had to make yet.

The fires of the ship cast a long shadow from the shrub. From that shadow, a man in a black uniform phased out, carrying a female with him. The man observed the situation before finding everything to his liking.

Uranus spun around quickly when she heard a gravelly rumble behind her. A slab of rock had risen on the edge of the ridge, separating her from her army. The slab didn't stop there as it rose completely around the valley, trapping the 500,000 soldiers inside. As quickly as it came, the slab thickened and transformed. Soon, a thick metal wall, roughly thirty feet tall and ten feet thick, now encircled the troops.

Uranus gasped as she felt the happenings drain her magic – the magic of Uranus. That meant the combat squad member, the murderer of Senshi Neptune, was still alive and currently on Uranus. Her anger burst forth at the thought. She whirled back around to face the burning spaceship, but instead she saw two people off to her left.

Uranus thrust magic into her hands, forming a World Shaking more powerful than any before. Right before she unleashed it, she caught sight of who stood there. With tears in her eyes, Uranus canceled her spell and fell to her knees. "No…"

XXXX

As he ran, Ranma checked how Jupiter was faring. Chiyo had temporarily raised a shield of magic to protect herself, and Jupiter had enough sense to hide behind it as well. As soon as the shockwave was done, Jupiter jumped back into the fight. Ranma saw Chiyo extending her magic to the planet again along with forming ice shards. He quickly sent his magic out in efforts of stopping her before he came in contact with Athena.

Ranma knew he was outmatched in matters of magic, so he quickly went over various strategies he could use. With all of his magic being used on Chiyo, he decided that he either needed to beat Athena without it or turn his attention killing Chiyo. However, he had no idea how he could do either. Jupiter wasn't strong or skilled enough in marital arts to hold her own against Athena, and her magic would be useless.

With a flash of inspiration, Ranma suddenly yelled, "Xycell!" He had changed his running from towards Athena to the side, away from where Chiyo and Jupiter fought. Athena kept her attention on him and warily watched him increasing the distance between them.

Ranma stopped when he saw a blue apparition appear next to him. A fraction of a second later the Space Keeper appeared. The man looked at the fight stilling going on and frowned, "What is it, Ranma? You know that I am a terrible fighter outside of my domain."

Ranma panted. "I can't take both of them. I was wondering if you could take the black haired one to the other side of the planet. She'll most likely space travel back here after, but that will give me enough time."

The Space Keeper thought about it for a moment. Ranma sent a blast of energy towards Athena to keep her distracted while they spoke. "You know that when she comes back she will not enter Space and I won't be able to fight or stop her?"

Ranma nodded, sending out another two Moko Takabisha. "I'll kill her myself, no problem. However, I'm sure that they use a ritual to space travel. That will take time that I need."

The Space Keeper laughed, "Using Space to gain Time, my friend? Very well, I shall do this." A blue apparition shot out of him, faster than most eyes could follow. The blue form stopped next to Athena, and, before she could react, shot off again towards the horizon with another blue form in its clutches. The two bodies vanished after them.

Ranma's breathing had slowed during the brief exchange. He turned his attention to Chiyo and moved to help his fellow Senshi.

XXXX

A man from the combat squad, his belt reading 'Plague' in kanji, glowed with Uranus's magic. Next to him was a woman. The woman was not in the standard combat squad uniform. She, instead, wore a Senshi fuku. With dazzling aquamarine hair and familiar lithe body, it was unquestionably Senshi Neptune.

Uranus cried tears of fear, tears of joy, tears of rage, and tears of sorrow all at once. Neptune was alive – barely. She was unconscious and breathed unsteady, ragged breaths. Plague was holding her up, one arm wrapped around her waist. His other hand held a power ball of energy uncomfortably close to Neptune's exposed neck.

Through her tears, Uranus choked out, "What do you want?"

Plague smirked dangerously. "If you want this woman to live, all you have to do is turn around and kill every last one of your soldiers trapped in that valley."

"What?" Uranus yelled.

"What is more important to you? This one 'soldier' or the hundreds of thousands standing behind you? Either betray your troops, kill them all, and I'll give you this Senshi and leave, or you watch me kill her right in front of you," Plague explained, clearly amused by the situation. "This is a game for my own pleasure, Senshi Uranus. If you slaughter your own troops, you have my word I will leave with no one harmed by my hand."

Uranus shook her head wildly, sobbing. She couldn't believe this was happening to her. "I- NO!" She screamed. Still on her knees, head bowed, she punched the ground in rage. The fist had enough strength to pierce the ground, making a hole. A scream tore past her lips as she hit the ground again and again, mutilating the rocky surface.

Plague watched this with a sick smile. He could feel the ground rumbling all the way from where he stood, over twenty yards away.

When the scream died out, so did Uranus's rage. She slowly stood, her head bowed. Tears fell to the ground before her. This wasn't something her strength could solve. She was outmatched in all ways. Her hands were clenched tightly, blood evident on her knuckles even with the gloves.

Plague watched as the blond haired Senshi stood. He had to restrain a chuckle as she turned away from him and approached the wall he had made. When she was close enough, he turned a segment of the wall into glass so that she could see her panicking soldiers behind. The smirk still on his face, he called out to her, "Have you made your decision?"

Senshi Uranus's eyes rose from the ground to take in her troops, her people. All of their lives rested on her decision. Was one woman really worth all of them? Uranus allowed a small smile that held no joy. Yes, Senshi Neptune _was_ worth all of them. If it meant Neptune's safety, Senshi Uranus would kill all of them and more.

_I'm sorry. _Eyes filled to the brim with sorrow and rage, Senshi Uranus unleashed her spell, "_WORLD SHAKING!"_

Plague grinned wickedly at Uranus's decision. The massive golden orb hit its target with pin-point precision. When the dust cleared, he inspected the Senshi in his arm's condition. "Oh, she's still alive," he announced. Senshi Neptune now had burns across the front of her body. Her fuku was torn in a couple of places.

Senshi Uranus was panting at this point, tears streaming. Yes, Senshi Neptune was worth more than all of her soldiers. However, Uranus knew that killing her troops wouldn't save her lover. As far as she was concerned, Senshi Neptune had died back on Neptune with her own people. That monster was holding a breathing corpse. His mission was to annihilate the planets. There was no way in hell he would let them go peacefully.

Despite this knowledge, nothing was more painful than having to actually attack Neptune, knowing that the woman was still alive and that she might be the very one who had to kill her. Ranma had tried to warn her, to prepare her for such a decision, but nothing could truly prepare her for what was happening.

"You know, I really would have let her live…" Plague lowered his hand that was burning with energy. "Alright then, you are going to have to kill your wife. I won't do this for you. I will, however, kill those troops behind you." The man smirked as a bluish-teal gas began to seep into the valley. Screams could be heard soon after. "That is a special kind of gas; one of my favorites. A friend of mine was kind enough to explain how it works. First, it melts the motor neurons in the body, preventing you from moving. Then, it melts the sensory neurons. That is single-handedly the most painful feeling one can experience. After that, obviously, the interneuron's melt. That includes the Central Nervous System, so that is the time the person dies. The whole process takes about five minutes, so we get to enjoy their screams until then."

To prevent his current victims from getting infected by the gas, Plague used Uranus's magic to form a glass covering across the entire valley. For some reason, the screams could still be heard after that. He smirked.

"YOU FUCKING BASTARD!" Senshi Uranus yelled, charging forward with her scimitar drawn.

Plague allowed her to come. He positioned Senshi Neptune in front of him. Uranus screamed in anguish as her blade pierced Neptune's stomach. She wrenched her eyes shut. In one motion, Uranus jerked the blade up at an angle, between the breasts but ending on Neptune's left side. Uranus twisted the blade one before finishing her slice by bringing the sword from the heart to the right side of the neck. In a spray of blood, Neptune died almost instantly.

Uranus froze, her eyes unwillingly opening. Blood had splattered across her face and fuku. Neptune's blood. Blood that she had spilt. The sight of her mutilated and bloodied lover tore into Uranus's heart. The fact that she was the one to do so only made it that much harder. She wanted to die. But first, she wanted revenge.

With a blood-curling cry, Uranus shouldered past her dead lover and slashed viciously at the man. Plague merely dodged the blade and slipped into his shadow, laughing. Uranus screamed and cried as she stabbed the place Plague's shadow had been. She stabbed it over and over again, knowing it was futile but could do nothing else.

Eventually, Uranus collapsed. She curled into a ball and cried, trying to ignore the screams that she could still hear from behind the wall. After the five minutes, true to his word, the last scream died out with a long wail. Uranus was holding Neptune to her chest, still crying. Although she knew it wasn't true, that he would have done it anyways, she couldn't ignore the fact that maybe, MAYBE he really would have let Neptune live. Now, all of her troops and Neptune were dead while the man still lived. She had gained nothing.

Senshi Uranus stopped crying when she felt another large portion of Uranus's magic drain away. The teal gas that had filled the valley began coming from crevices in the ground, most likely all around the planet as well. She gently laid her wife back on the ground. Picking up her scimitar, Uranus grew a hollow smiled. Before she could breathe in the gas, Uranus held the blade up under her jaw.

With the last few tears leaking from her eyes, Uranus looked at Neptune's unmarred face. The blond haired woman smiled. With a jerk of her hands, she saw no more. Her dying sight was her lover's angelic face, looking almost like she was sleeping. Senshi Uranus fell to the ground next to Neptune.

It was by no means a beautiful death. One woman had her front rent open from her stomach to her neck, blood covering her entire front. The other had her head impaled by a scimitar from her throat up to beyond the back of her head. Uranus's eyes had rolled to the back of her head, her mouth open with blood leaking from it. Her hair was a mix of her gold and the crimson of her blood. Blood spilled from her throat to the ground around her, pooling with the Neptune's.

However, despite the gruesome reality of it, if one were to ask either Senshi what they thought of their deaths, they would answer only that they were glad to die together, side-by-side for eternity.

XXXX

Chiyo had a cold expression on her face as she dodged another kick from Jupiter. She couldn't even form ice daggers as they melted the moment they were formed. She sent off a burst of raw Jupiterian magic and moved for a follow up when suddenly her face slammed into the ground. Chiyo rolled to the side after that and glared up at the new comer.

Ranma watched Jupiter cancel the raw magic with a Sparkling Wide Pressure before returning his attention to the lone combat squad member. The woman, once stunningly beautiful with her exotic white hair, had her nose broken with streams of blood coming from it. When she saw Ranma, she glared murderously.

Chiyo exploded with an aura of power. The chilling effect on the planet doubled in speed. Ranma grew goosebumps, not a good sign. Jupiter shivered once. Chiyo held out her hand and hundreds of thousands of ice shards formed in the air around the trio. The ice dimmed the sun but also produced a rainbow of colors around them from what light did make it through.

Ranma grit his teeth in concentration before all of the shards melted harmlessly into water. Almost immediately the water reformed into ice. Again, they melted after a moment. Chiyo all but shrieked as she formed them into ice again.

Ranma smiled as the shards returned to water. "We can do this all day if you want. You have a planet's magic helping you, but so do I. You can do nothing." There were two bluffs there as Ranma couldn't channel as much magic as Chiyo could along with the fact that his time was very limited, but Chiyo didn't seem to recognize either. Ranma used this to his advantage as he began running forward, scythe at the ready.

Chiyo sent out waves of raw magic, abandoning her efforts on the ice shards. Ranma casually dodged the waves before he was upon her. He feigned a kick, causing her to brace herself, but then he suddenly swung his scythe around hard. The blade pierced through her raised arm and impaled into her side, just under her breast. Blood oozed over the black uniform she wore.

Ranma jerked the scythe back, disemboweling her. He felt her magic building to repair the damage. Before she could do so, he lashed out again and decapitated her like he did to her brother. Still not willing to take chances, he swung the scythe around and cut her body in half from the neck to between her legs.

He turned to Jupiter to see her crush Chiyo's head under green her high heels, something he considered impressive given the shape of the shoes. The woman's face was serious still, the fire of the fight burning through her. It wasn't done yet.

Ranma followed Jupiter's gaze to where a blue apparition appeared. He smirked at Athena when she emerged. The black haired woman saw her fallen comrade and glared.

Her piercing black eyes were fixed on Ranma. "It seems like I am outmatched here… Reaper."

Ranma briefly noted that the planet was slowly recovering from Chiyo's previous actions. He still had a smirk on his face as he said, "The name's Ranma now. Had to change it when they let me live after my suicide mission… You know, you should join this side as well. This is one of those rare moments where the good guys go 'join us or die.'"

Athena glared at him, "I will _not_ join this empire of oppression!"

Ranma cocked his head to the side and smirked, "Funny, looks like we _are_ still on the same side. I really like the name too. I think I'll use it in the future. Empire of Oppression…"

Senshi Jupiter glared at Ranma. "Ranma, why are you wasting time talking?"

Ranma glanced at her. "Hey, don't knock the pre-fight talks before you try them. There is always plenty of time to go killing each other."

Jupiter just narrowed her eyes before returning her attention on Athena. Ranma sighed and shouldered his scythe. "But I guess she's right. Other planets to save and all that. So, you in, Athena?"

An aura of power exploding around the woman was his response. He watched as she rose from the ground, levitating. In a deep voice, empowered by magic, Athena boomed, "**I shall finish my mission! If I cannot enter the mines and if I do not have the skill to destroy the planet from the outside, then there is only one thing left for me to do.**" Suddenly, the aura sank back into Athena's body. Ranma's eyes narrowed when he noticed that she wasn't lowering her power but instead bringing it into her. With his senses, he felt the magic fusing with her ki, like she once said her specialty was.

Ranma's eyes widened when he realized suddenly what she was doing. She wasn't combining the two for an attack in the typical sense. She was making herself into a bomb big enough to wipe out the whole planet. The planet itself was supplying the energy for its own destruction.

As she channeled more and more magic into her body, Athena shouted, "**Go ahead and kill me! Unleash this upon your own people!**" Ranma frowned. She was right. If he killed her, all of the power would be unleashed. However, if he let her keep channeling, she would eventually pop like a balloon, also unleashing the power.

Ranma could only come up with one solution to this. Even then, however, it was a gamble. It seemed too simple. Regardless, he didn't have a choice. With a brief glance at Jupiter, he sheathed his scythe before jumping into the sky where Athena hovered.

The woman's black eyes followed Ranma's every movement. She did nothing to defend herself, already planning on her death. Ranma's leap reached its peak right before her. He hovered for a half second, suspended in the gap of his momentum shifting from up to down. His icy blue eyes were locked on her onyx ones. Both eyes held the same coldness.

Suddenly, Ranma's left hand slammed into her right temple. Athena's eyes widened significantly before she blacked out. The two descended together. Ranma landed on his feet and watched the unconscious Athena land harshly on her back. Ranma scanned her aura. The magic and ki mix were slowly coming apart, but it would take several hours before she could 'safely' be killed.

Ranma warned Jupiter to wait on killing her before he summoned the Space Keeper. As he waited, Ranma channeled magic into his tattoo, _Kresh, report._

Without any hesitation, the demon replied, _Lord Ranma, the Mercurians were able to get the satellites working again. We have all the planets under observation, and we were even able to watch your fight on Jupiter once we found your location. However…_

The Space Keeper appeared next to Ranma. He only briefly surveyed the battlefield and didn't even comment on Athena's not-dead condition. _However _what_, Kresh?_

_I'm sorry, Lord Ranma, but we lost Uranus. After you left, a teal gas began appearing. The man you identify as Plague has now taken Neptune, Saturn, and Uranus. Also, Mars has been exterminated. I believe Mars was taken by the man you call Hi. From our satellites, we saw a ring of fire start at one point and completely spread through Mars. No one is alive,_ Kresh reported.

Ranma winced as his stomach tightened and closed his eyes. While he didn't particularly care for the two lesbian Outers, especially with their horrific massacre of men, he had at least managed to befriend them and even convince them that men weren't as bad as they thought. Now they, along with his Hotaru-chan and Ame-neechan, were dead. Hotaru-chan... He emerged himself deeper into the Soul of Ice.

_Where should I go next?_ Ranma asked.

Kresh took a moment before he replied, _Earth needs the most help. Zooming in, we can see um… Well, all of the plants are growing and strangling the Terran civilians. _Ranma was too deep in the Soul of Ice to feel any humor at the situation. _Also, Beryl and her forces are no where to be seen. We can't find them anywhere._

"Earth," Ranma stated. The Space Keeper nodded and teleported them away without a word. Throughout the ages, the Keeper had seen countless wars. He knew the devastating effects wars did to people psyches, especially when they lost close friends.

XXXX

The only time the Time Gates stopped flickering was when Setsuna moved the image to the throne room in the Lunar Palace with Queen Serenity. That was acceptable for her, however, as she could use the gates to see what they were seeing. The Time Keeper was still crying from the fate she had seen of her fellow Outer Senshi. Now, however, she used them to see Ranma's progress. Him defeating the two members on Jupiter were the only thing that gave her a slight comfort.

Setsuna desperately wanted to be out there, fighting. She wanted to message the Queen, to reason with her, but even that was not possible. She wanted to do anything besides watching. However, she was now chained to her duty. She could not leave the gates for any reason besides what she was supposed to do – to fix interferences with Time. The previous 'forbidden pleasure' of viewing things through the gates did nothing for her.

A flurry of emotions tore through the woman. She didn't know if she should be mad at Crystal and Ranma for locking her there, happy that Ranma saved her life, or sad that everyone was dying. Maybe all of them, maybe none of them. Maybe she should look at all of it with the passive acceptance that her position required. The Time Keeper was supposed to keep a watch on time, to protect it, not get involved with one war. However, the war involved everyone she knew, but a Time Keeper had no family, no friends. Only duty.

The confusion of what to feel was so overwhelming that Setsuna wanted to cry. However, she was saving her tears for all of her fallen comrades; her former comrades. The confusion began again.

XXXX

It took the Space Keeper three tries to find the Dark Moon invader. At Ranma's questioning glance, the man explained that she had used a normal mode of transportation, not space travel. After the third try, Ranma found himself in the rainforest. The Space Keeper bid him good luck before he returned to space.

Ranma could feel the magic in the forest. As he looked around, he cursed. Tachi was most likely fused with the trees.

The Sahara Rainforest, 3,500,000 square miles of trees and tropics, was the center of Earth. The life and essence of the forest had brought people from all over to establish the largest city the world had seen in the center of it. It was at that city that the Moon Kingdom established as the capital and built their palace. The royal family of Earth, Endymion's parents, had lived there before they were assassinated by Beryl.

Now, however, the prosperous city was in ruins. All of its civilians were either dead from Beryl's raid or Tachi's influence. The entire Sahara Rainforest, once holding over 250 million people, was now devoid of all human life except for Ranma and Tachi. Ranma sighed as he shouldered his scythe. It was a shame he would have to destroy the entire forest in order to flush Tachi out.

Ranma ripped and ousted chunks of magic from Nemesis, forming brilliant waves of fire in all directions. While he couldn't form a ring of fire that would completely eradicate the forest almost instantly like what he heard happened to Mars, Ranma could still start the world's most devastating forest fire ever.

As the waves of fire ignited the trees, Ranma knew he couldn't destroy the whole forest with just fire. At least, he couldn't destroy it in its current state. Ranma reached out and drained every bit of moister he could with magic. Almost instantly he could feel the effects. He kept the magic out, continuously draining the tiny bits each tree gave off. However, that still wasn't enough as Ranma began heating the entire forest.

Heating the Saharan forest was much easier than trying to heat an entire planet like when he was countering Chiyo, Ranma found. The forest soon reached 140 degrees, and the fires were spreading more rapidly than ever. The trees were drying out, slowly dying. To speed along the process, Ranma started thousands of other forest fires in various locations throughout the forest.

Afterwards, Ranma collapsed to one knee. His breaths came hard and ragged. Sweat drenched his face and chest. He needed to rest after so much magic. The heat was almost unbearable, however, making Ranma protect himself with even more magic. As his magic slowly trickled out, he also realized how much smoke was being produced. Ranma groaned as he did a quick spell to allow clean air for him to breath.

All he could do was wait now. Kneeling and completely exhausted, Ranma made sure to keep careful observation of the burning forest around him. He realized then that things would have been much simpler, and smarter, if he had just summoned an Urgok and had it do this for him. He almost laughed at the idea and his own stupidity.

The thought of the Urgoks, however, give Ranma another idea. Channeling even more magic, this time into his demon master tattoo, Ranma commanded, _Liquid Life._

Not a second later there was a ripping sound followed by an Urgok appearing next to Ranma. Yarek the brewer, if Ranma remembered correctly. The Urgok grinned proudly as he held out a flask. Still panting, Ranma muttered a brief thank you before he downed the plasma.

Almost instantly energy returned to Ranma. He sighed happily as he pat his stomach. One flask of the stuff could cover five meals for a normal person… or a small appetizer for Ranma. Ranma could feel his body recovering from using so much magic. It wasn't a full recovery by any means, that took time, but he felt he could still dish it out with the plant woman when the time came.

Yarek only briefly looked around at the burning scenery. Ranma could tell the demon was terribly confused, especially from a climate change of snow to this oppressive heat, but Yarek wouldn't, or perhaps couldn't, question his master. He merely stood there, bouncing on the balls of his feet happily. Ranma couldn't help but smile at his excited familiar.

Suddenly, there was a movement in the forest. Ranma barely caught sight of a vine whipping towards them lightning fast. Ranma didn't have enough time to warn Yarek before it was upon them. With a grunt, Ranma lurched himself forward and blocked the vine with the black copper bracer on his arm.

Yarket turned slowly, his face exhibiting fear. The demon was a simple brewer, not a combat demon. It was horrified to see its master struggling against a vine, one that should have ended its life. Sure, it heard Ranma's commands and requests through the link, but every Urgok knew that those were for Kresh. Kresh was the fighter, not Yarek.

The demon scowled suddenly. Yarek was not a fighter, no, but Yarek was not a coward. If his master needed help, then he would help. The demon pooled magic into its hands and shot a ball of raw power towards the origins of the vine.

Ranma saw his demon reacting and yelled, "Yarek, NO!" The ball of energy severed the vine, causing it to fall limply. Suddenly, however, hundreds more shot out of various places. The burned trees, the blackened ground, even under rocks all sprouted thick, green vines that lashed towards them hazardously.

Yarek stopped suddenly, under orders of his master. Ranma cursed at his mistake. He picked up the small demon and lurched into the ashy sky. The vines followed. "_CHAOS BOLT!"_ Ranma shouted, destroying the vines. He shouted to his demon over the wind, "Yarek, this is not your fight! Return home!" He pushed the demon away from him so he wouldn't feel the backlash from gating. The demon nodded once and vanished in a burst of blue light.

Feeling slightly guilty that he had snapped at his demon, Ranma channeled magic into his tattoo and said, _Thanks for the Liquid Life, Yarek._

Now that he didn't have to worry about his demon, Ranma focused on the fight. The fires were burning more than a mile away on each side. He began his descent from his jump. As he fell, Ranma couldn't locate Tachi. The black uniform of the combat squad blended remarkably well with the blackened trees and ground.

As he landed, Ranma quickly rolled to the side. Behind him, a tree-like _thing_ was recovering from a punch. It pulled its branch out of the ground and entered a ridiculous martial arts stance. Suddenly, hundreds more of the things appeared, surrounding Ranma.

Ranma groaned at the sight. While not challenging to defeat, Tachi could produce them endlessly and effortlessly with Earth's magic. Sending out his senses, Ranma also felt that they helped mask Tachi's location as any of the presences he felt could be her. The trees began attacking.

Ranma resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Instead, however, he closed them and focused harder. While Tachi could blend her presence in with the trees, she couldn't hide her power. As he dodged the attacks, eyes still closed, Ranma found her. "_REAPER'S HARROWING!"_ He yelled, slashing with his scythe as it was full of power.

The black and silver wave tore a path of destruction towards Ranma's target. Dozens of the trees were obliterated, along with the ground, before a form suddenly lurched to the side. Ranma charged towards the form, scythe at the ready.

With a clang, the scythe was met with two special blades. The slim handles were green and curved to fit a hand. The blades were folded steel, curved like katana. Suddenly, one of the blades left the parry and swung towards Ranma. He dislodged and jumped back.

Tachi, the once cheerful and exuberant girl, carried no traces of her old self. Her forest green eyes glared murderously at Ranma. Ranma's eyes were drawn to the pony tail that stretched down her back. Her long, green hair, only slightly different to Setsuna's, carried the sure sign of a Plutoian. Ranma blinked and wondered why he never noticed before.

"You bastard!" Tachi spat, the sound seeming strange coming from her. "How _dare_ you start a forest fire? I – will – kill - you!"

Ranma almost smirked. How many people had said that very thing? Better yet, how many had succeeded? "Ah, Tachi. How nice of you to join me."

The girl's eyes flared before she lunged. Ranma easily side-stepped, swatting her in the back with the wood of his scythe. Tachi continued forward and crashed into a black, smoldering tree. Not a second later she jumped back at him, swinging wildly.

It occurred to Ranma that she didn't fight very well when angered. Not only were her swings off, she seemed to have forgotten her magic. Ranma easily danced between her attacks, goading her on with the blunt parts of his weapon and only causing minor damage.

Suddenly, Ranma saw the opportunity he was looking for. He held his foot out after dodging, catching Tachi and causing her to fall forward. As she fell, however, Ranma swung his scythe down and the black blade impaled her back. Tachi cried out as blood oozed from the wound. Ranma jerked the scythe to the side, tearing out chunks of her innards.

Ranma moved quickly. The second Tachi hit the ground, Ranma punted her hard. He shot off a Chaos Bolt after her before he himself leaped. The girl took the blast, screaming. Right after that, however, Ranma was behind her. He kneed her in her unprotected stomach. Tachi bent into the blow, coughing up blood, before the knee forced her momentum to ruthlessly reverse. She flew back the way she came. Her body tumbled in the charred dirt, her wounds getting covered by the soot.

Ranma didn't wait to see if she was still conscious. He skidded to a stop and charged forward again. The wounds seemed to remind Tachi of her advantage. Wheezing, she used the Earth's magic to heal. Her black-covered intestines cleaned before reentering her body, the skin sealing closed. Internal damage was healed, evident by her easier breathing. The external burn marks and cuts from the Chaos Bolt healed.

Tachi rolled to the side right as Ranma came, fully recovered. She looked angrier now than before, but she had controlled her thinking. She created a tree next to her and phased inside it.

Ranma frowned at the tree. There wasn't another tree within two miles for her to attack from. All the nearby wood had burned down. Ranma glanced from side to side. He sent out his senses, holding his scythe at the ready. Suddenly, Ranma realized what was about to happen. He figured it out only a moment too late, however.

A sword phased out of the wood in Ranma's scythe. It tried to impale into the center of his chest. However, the black copper chest plate deflected it, sliding it down until it pierced his unprotected stomach. Ranma grunted as the blade made it all the way out his back. He threw his scythe away, forcing the blade out of him. This proved to be a mistake, however, as the blade cut a path through him as it left.

Ranma instantly called Nemesis's magic to him, ripping it from the planet. He healed the gash and stood back up. Tachi phased out of his weapon and picked it up. She held the weapon in her left hand, the second sword in its sheath on her back.

"Careful with that," Ranma started. "I don't want to have to use the girl-pin for transforming."

Tachi glared at him. "What are you without your mighty weapon, Reaper?"

"I'm Ranma," he replied cheekily. Tachi growled. "Oh come on, don't you remember this? Last time we fought I threw my weapon away and you were like 'oh no I don't want to hurt you.' Then I was like 'I don't need weapons.' And then I beat you."

The girl's look didn't soften. "I also remember you having to transform into a girl. I made sure to not blast you with water this time. A lame is no challenge to me."

Ranma forced his transformation, resisting a wince as the uniform altered with it. "You mean this form?"

Tachi's jaw dropped. She quickly recovered and glared disdainfully. "No matter, I also remember the cure for this." A jet of boiling water slammed into Ranma.

Ranma was suddenly very glad he had put the heat-reducing spell around him. He saw the water boiling in the puddles on the ground. When he looked back to Tachi, he shrugged and performed the transformation again. "Are we getting somewhere with this?"

"I am going to enjoy spreading your entrails across the ground," Tachi muttered slowly.

"Before you do that, let's have a little chat," Ranma said seriously. "Tachi, what changed you?" The woman just glared at him. "I mean, wasn't your dream to live in a forest? Now you're going around killing everyone with your gift. I thought you said you hated people who killed innocents."

"Those people are _not_ innocent!" Tachi spat.

"I know they aren't, but they can change. Instead of killing all of them, why don't you help me in getting them to see the truth? Together we can stop this… Kingdom of Oppression," Ranma tried to reason. "Believe it or not, Crystal is on our side."

"There is no 'our side'!" Tachi screamed before charging her.

Faster as a female, and with full use of her arms, Ranma grabbed both of Tachi's wrists, holding her in place and rending the weapons useless. Tachi tried to knee her, but Ranma stepped forward and locked Tachi's legs between her own, straddling her while standing. Tachi growled as she struggled, but finding herself stuck, she tried to bite Ranma.

Ranma didn't flinch as Tachi's teeth pierced her bicep, the unprotected gap between the bracer and shoulder plate. Blood spilled from the wound.

Ranma looked down at the woman softly. "Tachi…"

The woman released Ranma's arm and glared up at her, blood running down her chin. "Shut up! I don't want to hear it from you, traitor! Die!" She head-butted Ranma.

Ranma sniffed after that, the blowing landing right on her nose. At least it wasn't bleeding. "Tachi, this war is useless. It's just an excuse for death. I know you're better than that. Maybe you'll see the truth of that when you wake up."

Tachi looked confused. "Wha-" Ranma, with her superior Nemesisian and Senshi strength, forced both of Tachi's wrists into her left hand and promptly knocked the green haired woman out.

Ranma set the woman down on the black dirt. She then transformed back into a male and sheathed his scythe. Looking around, Ranma saw that the fire was now over fifteen miles away and spreading faster in the unbearable heat. In a couple of minutes it would meet another fire he had made and combine with it. He figured that the entire Sahara Rainforest would burn down in about an hour.

Ranma shrugged, not concerned with wasting energy to stop his fire. Even if it burned down he was pretty sure it would regrow in time. That's what forests did when they burned down. He didn't take into account that the magic he used to drain the moisture and the pollution from the smoke would permanently scar the area.

Before summoning the Space Keeper, Ranma grew a small patch of vegetation. The oasis of life stood alone amongst the ruin of the fire, but it was far enough away to not be harmed from the flames. Ranma hoped that Tachi would see the truth when she woke up. The Dark Moon had corrupted her. Maybe if he defeated the Dark Moon she would be better, and if he didn't defeat the Dark Moon then it wouldn't matter if she lived because Earth would be lost anyways.

"You aren't a bad person, Tachi. Misguided, yes, but not a bad person," Ranma whispered. The Space Keeper appeared next to him. _Definitely not as bad as I was,_ he thought to himself.

Before he even contacted Kresh, the demon spoke through the tattoo, _Lord Ranma! We lost Jupiter!_

Ranma's eyes widened. Quickly channeling magic into his tattoo, he asked, _What? How?_

_Just two minutes ago we caught sight of gas rising from Jupiter. We scanned the planet. No one is alive,_ Kresh replied stoically.

Ranma cursed harshly, causing the Space Keeper to raise an eyebrow. _Damn it! Is anything going to be safe?_

Kresh suddenly reported, _Lord Ranma, we just caught sight of a Neptunian vessel landing on Venus. We are tracking its previous course… Lord Ranma, this vessel has made a direct path from Jupiter to Venus. This has to be Plague._

_I'm going to enjoy this… How is Nemesis fairing?_ Ranma asked.

_Zooming in… There are thousands dead with billions to go, Lord Ranma, _Kresh replied. _The one you identify as Makusu is fighting them single-handedly. He is beating them effortlessly and doesn't even seem winded… but it is a slow victory for him. Your people are true to their training._

Ranma nodded, forgetting Kresh couldn't see him. He looked up to the Space Keeper, "Xycell, the next one is currently on Venus. If I can stop him there we won't have to worry about Earth being destroyed after we leave."

The Space Keeper looked up into the sky, once again seeing things that a normal person couldn't. "Jupiter is now gone as well. Very well then, we are off to Venus." He grabbed Ranma and space traveled.

XXXX

Ranma appeared alone in the throne room of Magellan Castle. Almost immediately he started coughing from a beige colored gas. He used his magic to allow breathing.

"Sulfur dioxide," a male voice suddenly said. Ranma looked around but didn't see anyone. "The purpose isn't to suffocate and poison the people. It is a greenhouse gas. The people here will heat up until they burn a slow death."

Ranma unsheathed and shouldered his scythe. "That's cool, I guess." He sent out his senses, ready for Plague to jump from any shadow in the dimly lit room. The clouds were so thick in the sky that almost none of glaring sun penetrated through. The windows only allowed a small portion of that in. "Have you seen Senshi Venus by any chance?"

Ranma suddenly felt a presence. He saw something fall from a shadow on the ceiling. When the form hit the floor, Ranma sighed. Venus's corpse starred lifelessly at the ceiling, fear permanently etched in her dead features.

"So, are you going to come out or do I need to level this entire palace?" Ranma asked.

"So the gimp wants to play?" Plague's voice asked, sounding like it came from everywhere, from every shadow in the room. "Do you even know what you're facing?"

"Eh, an old comrade, a new enemy - something like that," Ranma said without enthusiasm. Too many friends had been claimed by this war. He wanted it to be over.

Plague laughed darkly. "So you really don't know. Have you ever wondered why I could emit magic? Why I never needed a demon near me to cast spells?" Ranma didn't feel like answering. The numbness was settling in him again. "It is because I _am_ a demon." More laughed followed that.

Ranma planted the scythe on the ground and leaned against it. "That's great, I guess. I guess that means you found your father." Silence followed that. "Never mind then."

Plague melded from a shadow in the center of the room, only his upper half showing. His arms were crossed as he skeptically regarded Ranma. Ranma looked at him and snorted. "You're not a demon. Maybe half a demon, but your not a full blooded. I can feel that."

Plague didn't seem phased. "If what I heard about you is true, then you are actually a demon master." Ranma shrugged. "Alright then, let me tell you something about half-demons. There is a war that goes on inside us. Our human halves and our demon halves are constantly battling for dominance. As you can see, my human-half has been victorious over the years. However, if I were to give in to my demon-half… Well then, let's hope it doesn't come to that."

"That's great. Now, are we going to fight or not?" Ranma held up his scythe in a defensive position. Plague cocked his head and slowly sank back into his shadow.

The moment the head vanished Ranma spun and slashed with his scythe. Plague cursed as he rolled away, having just appeared from Ranma's shadow. Plague glared and sank into another shadow.

Ranma sighed. In a dead voice, he said, "Your shadow trick isn't going to work on me. I've fought someone else who had it before. I-" Ranma stopped cold. He made the connection. With a sickening feeling, Ranma uttered, "I know who your father is."

Plague's voice was angry as it shouted from the shadows, "Do not try to trick me now, Reaper. I will not fall under your games. You don't know who my father is."

"Kotetsu Ryu, previous Senshi of Nemesis. He told me that he had a son once. His son was a half-demon. He wanted to keep his son, he really did. However, his position didn't allow him to do so. He left the baby on a planet far from here, hoping that it would live and learn to survive on its own," Ranma recounted, his eyes wide.

Plague lurched out of a shadow and shot a lighting bolt at Ranma. "Silence! You don't fucking know what your talking about!"

Ranma easily dodged the lightning and squinted at Plague, who slipped into another shadow. "He said his son had… scales and gills. I guess I was mistaken."

The room was silent after that. Ranma kept his senses out, unnerved by the lack of action. Slowly, Plague phased out of a shadow across the throne room. His look was cautious. "Scales and gills? Are you sure?"

Ranma straightened himself and shouldered his scythe. "I don't really have a reason to lie about this. Does that mean something to you?"

Plague took a deep breath. "I can live through my gases because of my… er… my gills. My scales won't appear unless I give into my demon side." He looked at Ranma hopefully. "Reaper, I- …I only work with the Dark Moon because they let me go out and explore the galaxy. I want nothing more than to find my father. If he really didn't want to abandon me, then I won't kill him when I see him. Maybe we… maybe we could have a life together. Please, tell me where he is."

"Dead," Ranma said coldly. He had no intention of letting Plague leave peacefully. This man alone was the cause of so many of his friends' deaths.

Plague's eyes widened. "What?"

"I killed him," Ranma finished. He moved his scythe back into a ready position. It was then Ranma noticed how hot it was getting. "With this scythe. If you want proof, look at me. There can only be one Senshi at a time, and I am his replacement."

A single tear fell from Plague's wide eyes. Slowly, the half-demon said, "I am going to kill you."

Ranma shrugged. "Good luck."

Plague's stunned look melted into hatred. He slipped back into his shadow. Afterwards, the whole room began rumbling as a yell was heard coming from the shadows. Ranma braced himself.

The entire floor turned pitch black. Ranma jumped up just in time to see arcs of black coming from the floor. Suddenly, shadowy figures lurched from the floor and headed straight for Ranma. Ranma destroyed the figures with Chaos Bolts before his descent began. Right before he would hit the ground, Ranma formed a wave of pure light around him.

The light burned away the shadow, allowing him a safe landing. Ranma sighed in relief, having not known if it would work or not. Plague began yelling again as dozens of spells shot out of shadows from different areas. Ranma calmly dodged them.

Getting tired of the one sided battle, Ranma jumped to the ceiling. His scythe shattered the crystal, allowing him to continue up. Once he was a good distance above the castle, Ranma channeled as much of Nemesis's magic into his scythe as he could. The weapon glowed brilliantly black with power. Ranma swung the weapon down bellowing, "_REAPER'S HARROWING!"_

The resulting wave was massive. It completely leveled the castle, forcing Plague to leave the shadows and appear in the open. Ranma noticed that his body was beginning to fail from too much magic again.

Ranma landed on the ground across from Plague. They both were sweating from the intense heat. Ranma figured it was around 150 degrees. While he didn't like the heat, he had no problem functioning under it.

A fact not known to many of the Moon Kingdom was that Mercury, like Pluto, had their climates altered. Originally, the people of Mercury lived in degrees of around 500 Fahrenheit during days and negative fifty at night due to their close proximity to the sun and relatively thin atmosphere. That allowed the people a great deal of resistance to the elements. However, when the Moon Kingdom began after The Planets' Collision, the Mercurians altered their climate to more reasonable temperatures that allowed the other races of human to visit. They also gave the technology to Plutoians to help heat the planet.

When the Mercurians and Gastralians migrated to Nemesis, the resistance was given to the new 'Nemesisian' race. However, having lived in average temperatures for his whole life, Ranma felt uncomfortable in such heat despite the fact that he could handle much more. When he lived with the Urgoks he had grown more attune with his resistance to cold, but that also shifted his heat resistance even further away. The Senshi of Mercury, however, was used to the heat. That was the reason why she was the only one able to make a stand against 'Hi' during their training.

Ranma wiped his brow, frowning at the dark sky. If he didn't act fast the people of Venus would be burned to death. Venus had an atmosphere thick enough to give its climate the equivalent of Earth's, so the people weren't able to live with such heat.

Plague had murder in his eyes when he saw Ranma. With no more shadows to hide in besides his own and Ranma's, Plague was forced to fight head-to-head. "That's it, you bastard!" Plague howled.

Ranma watched as Plague's whole form began shifting. The magic in the air tripled, giving it a heavier feel. Ranma figured he could use that for awhile instead of filling himself with Nemesis's. Blue scales sprouted through Plague's skin, covering his entire body. His dull grey eyes shifted slightly, more to the outside of his head. A fish-like spine rose out of his back. His scaled hands tripled in size and became webbed and clawed. His legs extended and he hunched against them, almost like a frog. With a final roar, Plague's spine extended past his body and formed a vicious looking tail.

Ranma cocked his head at this new Plague. "Hey, you're prettier this way."

"**DIE!**" Plague roared before charging. Ranma cursed when he saw the increased speed. He barely dodged the first blow. Ranma blurred away and appeared behind Plague when he stopped moving. Ranma swung his scythe hard and cursed when he saw it only glance off the scales. Plague roared again and smacked Ranma away.

Ranma grunted from the blow, his chest plate absorbing most of it. He landed a few dozen yards away, creating a trench. Plague roared again and suddenly his power increased dramatically. An aura of power surrounded him. Ranma groaned when Plague filled himself with Venus's magic. As if it wasn't hard enough before…

Plague charged forward, sending blasts of raw magic as he ran. Ranma frantically ran to the side, trying to escape the blasts. The spells began coming faster and stronger. Ranma cursed and blocked a particularly large blast of magic with his left bracer, the blow reverberating throughout his arm.

Seeing no other choice, Ranma transformed into his female form. With both arms and increased speed, she stood a better chance at fighting. She reconsidered that thought after she was tossed into the ground for the third time.

Ranma struggled to her feet, panting hard. Her entire torso throbbed with pain despite the fact that the breastplate protected it entirely. Plague, more vicious with a demon's bloodlust, was impossibly hard to beat. He had the Nemesisian compact body, a demon's power, and a planet's magic backing him. Ranma figured that she had something roughly equivalent to that but to a much lesser degree in all three areas.

Ranma wiped the sweat from her brow once again. 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Already people must be dying, with only the few people indoors standing a chance.

Ranma's thoughts ran wild. Plague's scales were impenetrable to melee attacks, his magic powerful enough to deflect any of Ranma's spells, and his strength slightly superior to Ranma's. Ranma's speed was her only advantage. She had no idea if Plague had a weakness somewhere, but if she didn't find it soon it wouldn't matter.

Ranma rolled to the side once again and quickly dodged the demon's wild slashes. Ranma back-flipped over a rippling wave of powerful magic. She then blurred behind the demon. She jumped up onto its back, careful of the sharp spine, and rammed both hands together into Plague's skull. The demon was dazed only for a second before it grabbed Ranma and threw her into the ground.

Ranma grunted from the impact; the demon's strength aided in the throw. She didn't have time to move before Plague's scaly foot slammed into her breastplate. Ranma desperately used that moment to her advantage. The breastplate easily absorbed the crushing weight, leaving Ranma trapped but unharmed.

As Ranma gazed up at the demon, she saw something different. The bluish scales, once grudgingly beautiful despite the situation, were changing color. They were beginning to blacken as a stream rose from them.

With a flash of inspiration, Ranma realized what was going on. Her hands burst into flames that she launched at Plague. She had previously ignored fire as Plague was a Nemesisian. Plague roared in pain and leapt away from Ranma. Ranma grinned wickedly at this new idea.

Fire surrounded Ranma's hands again, spiraling up her arms. It wasn't that she was immune to fire, but her own spell wouldn't hurt her until it was cast (3). With a battle cry, Ranma unleashed torrents of flames at the still-smoking Plague.

Ranma had realized that Plague was no longer an average Nemesisian. While he could usually handle heat like Ranma, he had given that up when he turned into a demon. The blackening scales were a sign that Plague was being burned up by his own idea of destroying Venus.

Plague roared as he stopped Ranma's flames with a blast of raw magic. The demon panted hard. It's aura of magic blazed brightly, but it was dimming as the scales continued to blacken.

Ranma remembered what Adafild had told her about demons using magic. Humans could will spells into existence. Demon's, however, had a specific way of controlling magic. While the two ways could create the same effect, the methods were different. For Ranma, magic was only limited by her imagination and how much was available. For a demon like Plague had become, magic was limited by how much he understood about controlling it.

It saddened Ranma, but she understood that, in order to beat Plague, she had to let the people of Venus die out. Ranma easily dodged Plague's attacks, the demon's spells limited only to blasts of raw magic. Ranma tried to end the fight sooner by sending torrents of fire, but Plague easily stopped them with his unending supply of magic.

Over time, Plague's attacks became slower and slower. The movements became more labored. Ranma recognized that Plague was dying. She stopped fighting when the demon fell to the ground.

Ranma walked up to Plague, her body feeling like it was on fire from the heat. The demon's breath was ragged, but it still managed to glare hatefully at Ranma. Ranma raised her foot, planning on crushing Plague's throat.

Plague saw the foot and muttered, "**I will not go down alone.**" Before Ranma could wonder what he meant, the demon roared one final time. The biggest wave of raw magic Ranma had ever seen slammed into her.

Ranma gasped out as the wave crushed her. The magic tried to tear her into pieces, the pressure denting her breastplate inwards. Ranma screamed in agony.

Desperately, Ranma forced Nemesis's magic into her and flared it, trying to counter Plague's. The demon's spell was too powerful, however, and slowly ripped Ranma into shreds. Ranma gritted her teeth against the pain and used her magic to keep her body in one piece. At the same time she forced magic into her breastplate, strengthening it and preventing it from caving into her chest.

After what seemed like an eternity, Plague's spell slowly died out. Ranma hit the ground hard. She stared at the dark sky blankly, amazed to be alive. The heat seemed like a thing in the past after the spell. The pain faded and Ranma was once again fully recovered. She forced herself to her feet and looked where she was.

Ranma was stunned to see herself over four miles away from the remains of Magellan Castle. Shaking her head, she sent her senses forward to check for life. With a sigh of relief, she felt that Plague was dead. Now empty of Nemesis's magic, and with the magic in the air from Plague dying out, Ranma found her body on the brink of failing. She sighed as she collapsed back onto the ground.

Ranma didn't want to risk using magic to communicate with Kresh just yet, but she found she didn't have to when Kresh said through the tattoo, _Lord Ranma, the last member of the combat squad has been located on Mercury._

Ranma groaned and put her head in her hands. Taking a deep breath, she channeled the smallest amount she could into the tattoo and requested, _Liquid Life._ Ranma winced in pain.

Not a second later Yarek appeared with two flasks. Ranma breathed a sigh of relief and downed them both. Afterwards, with energy flowing through her, Ranma felt her body safe for channeling magic again. She dismissed Yarek with a smile before transforming back into a male. Ranma felt that the air had heated to over 400 degrees.

With a sigh, he yelled, "Xycell!" He channeled magic into his tattoo and said, _Thank you, Yarek and Kresh. How is Earth and the moon faring?_

He half expected Kresh to say that the Earth had been destroyed in his absence, but instead the demon replied, _Earth is fine, Lord Ranma. Things are still quiet on the moon. However… it feels like the calm before the storm. We have had no word on Beryl._

_And Nemesis?_

_I believe Makusu is sweating, Lord Ranma,_ Kresh replied. Ranma sighed in relief just as the Space Keeper appeared.

The Space Keeper winced at the heat. "I do not like this."

Ranma stood up and wrapped his arm around the man's slender, cloaked shoulders. "Me neither. To Mercury, my friend."

The Space Keeper nodded, "To Mercury." Ranma's vision flared orange, and then they were gone.

XXXX

Queen Serenity's face held no emotions as she watched the images from the satellites. Next to her were Yuka, Kresh, General Marx, and several officers. They were in the war room. Selene had been banished to her room, Endymion keeping watch over her. General Hisako was outside, leading the Lunar Palace troops. General Catharine was on the other side of the moon, organizing the troops there.

A brief cheer went throughout the room when Plague was defeated and Ranma stood back up, but it died quickly in respect for all the others who had lost their lives. Many of the officers had broken down upon seeing their homeworlds destroyed, their family and friends slaughtered. Marx, the aged general from The Planet's Collision, was handling the situation the best. Even then, however, he was close to his breaking point.

Crystal bit her lip when Ranma vanished to go to Mercury. Mihoshi's foreboding warning came into mind. She remembered very clearly what the previous Time Keeper had said. Ranma was to die by the leader of the combat squad. So far, however, a couple of things had changed from Mihoshi's prediction. Crystal could only hope that Ranma's death would be another thing changed.

Kresh watched the proceedings with his arms crossed and his eyes narrowed. His master had now drank three flasks of Liquid Life. Both of them knew of the risks. The energy-recovering plasma was concentrated. One flask was meant for one meal. Three a day was the correct use. Like with anything, too much was a very, _very_ bad thing. Ranma was currently fine with his dosage and as a matter of fact could still have another, but if Ranma drank a flask after that, five total, he would be in a very, _very_ bad condition. Kresh was sure there was nothing to worry about, but he was willing to be cautious for the sake of his master.

XXXX

The heat was oppressive. That was the first thing Ranma noticed when he arrived on Mercury, once again alone. Already it was almost as hot as Venus was. A few nearby buildings were on fire, but for the most part the whole planet was running smoothly.

Mercury was much different than Ranma expected, but he figured he shouldn't be too surprised. The sun was blaring through the sky, significantly larger than what one usually saw. However, a dome of lights raced back and forth across the sky, dimming it and preventing the heat from scorching the planet. Almost everything else was metal. The floor, the buildings, everything. There was no vegetation that Ranma could see. Various machines could be seen on every street corner, more than a few on fire.

Of course, in the center of the town, there was a tremendous pillar of fire exploding into the sky. Ranma blinked through the light and saw the shape of a man in the center. Ranma advanced towards Hi. He realized that the man was trying to destroy the protective shield that surrounded Mercury.

As Ranma got closer, a ring of fire suddenly erupted from Hi. Ranma cursed and cut a path of ice through it just in time. He turned his head to see the ring continuing outward and soon vanished past the buildings. Ranma figured it would surround the entire planet, burning any unsuspecting civilian outside. Ranma saw another ring explode.

Ranma once again began moving towards Hi. As he got closer, he realized that Hi wasn't alone. Ranma cursed as recognition flowed through him. Hi held a woman up by one arm. The fire shot upwards, surrounding her, before continuing to the sky. By the look of things, the person Hi was burning was protected by a large dome of energy.

Before Ranma could react, the dome burst and the woman released a horrifying shriek, barely heard over the roaring flames. Ranma bowed his head as the screams died out a few seconds after the dome broke. Hi threw the woman to the side, towards Ranma. The charred and blacked corpse wasn't recognizable, but Ranma could tell from the fuku that it was Senshi Mercury.

The flames continued full force against the planet's shield.

Ranma cut through another ring of fire and was finally close enough to Hi attack. Fubuki Sousou was all but useless in the heated climate, and the energy it would take to freeze the air would be too risky. Instead, Ranma ripped magic from Nemesis and shouted, "_CHAOS BOLT!_"

The black orb was canceled by a ball of fire before it got halfway. However, the attack managed to bring Hi's attention to Ranma. The fire stopped, revealing the red haired man.

Ranma unsheathed his scythe and shouldered it. Hi crossed his arms, regarding Ranma. Hi looked exactly how Ranma remembered. His red muscle shirt didn't even seem damaged after his display. In a tone Ranma was used to from the man's time as instructor, the same tone he used before a mission, Hi said, "You're on the wrong side, Reaper."

"I could say the same to you," Ranma replied evenly. "However, neither of us is going to coerce the other, so let's just fight."

Hi sighed and unfolded his arms. "Very well. However, I hope you know that you cannot win." Ranma didn't feel like replying as he settled into a balanced stance with his scythe. "I am invincible."

"I think I've heard that one before," Ranma said, only briefly thinking back.

The man shrugged his massive shoulders. Flames erupted up his arms, swirling around them. "It doesn't matter to me if you believe me."

Ranma narrowed his eyes, his body tensing. "All of the other members had their little power-ups. I defeated them all."

Hi flinched. "So I've heard… I hate war. Too many lives are lost."

"Then why are you doing this?"

"Because no matter how horrible it is, some wars are necessary. Now, let us begin!" Hi raised his arm and a jet of flame shot towards Ranma.

Ranma jumped over the flames. Seeing Hi launch more flames towards him Ranma unleashed a powerful wind. The wind easily parted the flames, allowing Ranma to land safely. Ranma turned around to see dozens of fireballs heading his way along with a wall of fire moving in from all sides. A jet of flames appeared overhead, cutting off Ranma's last option of escape.

Thinking quickly, Ranma opened a hole in the ground with magic. He fell in it and sealed the top just in time. Ranma then shifted the rocky earth – the material under the metal covering – to allow a tunnel. Ranma popped his head up to see more flames heading his way. A burst of heat from behind him, inside the tunnel, had Ranma barreling out of the temporary shelter.

Ranma was sweating again as he saw molten lava burst out of the tunnel he had used. He wiped the sweat away and tried to mount an offense. Lightning burst from Ranma's body towards Hi. At the same time, Ranma also unleashed a torrent of wind with several Chaos Bolts.

Hi didn't bother stopping the attacks with fire, knowing that the wind would prevent that. Instead, he used magic to lift up the metal covered street and thrust a ball of it towards Ranma. The ball of special metal harmlessly absorbed the lightning before the wind hit it. Hi created a wind more powerful than Ranma ever had before to support his ball of metal.

Ranma lurched to the side, dodging the ball and the wind. As he was still moving, Ranma lifted panels with magic off the street and thrust them back towards Hi like Frisbees.

Hi swatted the disks away like they were nothing. His brownish-red eyes danced in the fire of the burning buildings before he yelled, "Enough with this game of magic! We shall end this like men."

Ranma caught on Hi's meaning instantly. He was actually relieved to be able to fight melee. Hi was more skilled at using magic than the other members of the squad had been, and with his particular ability to use it endlessly without ramifications, Ranma was outmatched.

Ranma sheathed his scythe and charged forward. No one could outmatch him in a regular fight, not since he had gained the Nemesisian body along with the strength of a Senshi. It was that reason that left Ranma completely flabbergasted when his powerful punches and lightning fast kicks were dodged like child's play.

Hi didn't even seem to be trying as he automatically deflected and gracefully moved through Ranma's attacks. To emphasize that Ranma was outmatched, the man had the gall to close his eyes and say, "Hmm, I wonder where Ranma went?" Ranma was stunned as his leg sweep was jumped over. With his eyes still closed, Hi burst into an offensive.

Ranma was overwhelmed by the ridiculously powerful blows that rained against his body. He knew something was wrong when his chest plate shattered.

Ranma cursed as he kneeled, clutching the broken plate. The black copper, a metal know for being almost unbreakable and had proved true as it held through countless fights, was _shattered_ in a single punch. Ranma used his magic to repair the plate, but his chest burned from the hit. Every rib had broken and was healed.

Hi opened his eyes after the hit. He looked at his hand questionably before shrugging. Even he looked surprised at the result. When Ranma stood back up, Hi folded his arms again, "Now do you see what I mean? You cannot win; I am invincible."

Ranma desperately wanted to use a Hiryu Shoten Ha on the man. Maybe he could stop him like Saffron, and with the air reaching around 400 degrees the tornado would be magnificent. However, Hi kept his cool the whole fight. The man was a master of war. Even so, Ranma knew the man shouldn't be able to keep up with him in his Senshi form. "How?" Ranma gasped out.

Hi assumed a thinking pose, apparently not worried that Ranma would attack him. In fact, that's exactly what Ranma did. The man rubbed his chin and stared at the colorful sky, easily dodging Ranma's attacks without trying. "I guess I could show you… I mean, it wouldn't hurt… Yeah, you'll die anyways, so I guess I will show you."

Ranma growled and stopped his assault. Hi looked back down and actually seemed genuinely confused that he was in a different location as if he didn't know he was dodging attacks. However, he took it into stride and said, "Alright, I'll show you."

Ranma glared at the man, but he resisted attacking. Hi reached to the bottom of his shirt and lifted up. Ranma's eyes widened as his jaw dropped. Despite the situation, Ranma could resist face-faulting. He groaned in frustration at the 'key to Hi's power.'

There on Hi's stomach, with black ink, was a tattoo. It wasn't any tattoo, mind you, nor was it a demon master's tattoo. In its full glory, it was a tattoo of a gay-looking smiley face. It had the same girlish lashes and blush, and the tongue was sticking out the same way Ranma remembered.

Ranma shuttered. "The mark of the battling god."

Hi seemed stunned. "Well I'll be damned," he muttered. "You _do_ know of this."

Ranma sighed heavily. _Well, this fight just got interesting._ Ranma glared at Hi and transformed into his female form. "And I know how to beat it."

Hi smirked. "I don't think so. You see, Metaria-sama told me how this worked when she gave it to me. The only way to remove it is for me to be defeated in combat. The only way I can get defeated in combat is if you can blemish the mark. The best part is that my muscles are too large to fold over enough to blemish it. As I said, I am invincible."

Ranma cursed. She remembered exactly how hard it was getting the mark off of Ryoga, who was half the size of the man before her. Even with her old rival _consenting_ it took hours of concentration and attempts. As Ranma glanced at Hi's massive stomach muscles, she realized that the man was speaking the truth. _Oh boy…_

XXXX

Those in the war room were confused by the confrontation. They didn't have audio, but they could clearly see the ridiculous looking marking on Hi's stomach. It came as a complete surprise when the man began tearing into Ranma.

Only Kresh kept his cool demeanor as Ranma was pummeled. Crystal forced herself to look away after a minute of the fight. Yuka burst into tears. Marx sighed heavily. Kresh, however, merely narrowed his eyes at the fight. The demon watched Ranma's fighting strategy; he watched Hi's flawless movements. The demon's mind whirled with thoughts, possibilities, techniques. The Guardian Urgok frowned.

XXXX

Ranma coughed up blood. Her skin had a blackish tinge to it now, Hi having resumed using magic on occasion. The black copper breastplate had been broken and reformed more times than Ranma could keep track of. She growled as she pushed herself up into a kneeling position. Hi stood there, looking bored.

Ranma wiped the blood dripping down her chin off with the back of her gloved hand and stood back up. She was over trying to get the man to wink the tattoo. As the man said, it was impossible. None of her magic attacks were powerful enough, Hi easily canceling them with his own magic.

Ranma sighed and looked up to the sky. The protective dome was almost destroyed from Hi's earlier actions. She had hoped not to have to resort to it, but with the way the fight was going it wouldn't matter. She thrust the rest of her magic into her hands.

Hi raised an eyebrow at the massive black orb in Ranma's hands. Ranma smiled once before she thrust the orb up into the sky. Hi's eyes widened. Before the man could react, the orb crashed into Mercury's shield. A second later it shattered.

Hi's eyes snapped back down to Ranma, confusion evident on his face. Understanding donned on him when a ferocious wind picked up. Heat slammed into the planet full force. All of the nearby fires were put out as the wind picked up, the wind traveling up into the sky.

Ranma held a sad smile on her face as she watched the sky, the huge sun blaring down on her. "I may not be able to beat you in a fight, Hi, but you can die."

The protective dome that covered Mercury wasn't just a piece of technology. They had fixed it to the atmosphere, attaching it with both technology and magic. Destroying the dome destroyed the already thin atmosphere. Once again Ranma doomed the people of an entire planet.

Hi raised an eyebrow as the wind ripped at his clothes. "What is the purpose of this? Do you expect me to burn? Ha! No, maybe you expect me to suffocate?"

Ranma kept her same sad smile. "Wait awhile, and you'll find out."

Hi narrowed his eyes. "No, I don't think I will wait. I think I'll kill you and get off this planet before all the air is gone, as was my mission."

Ranma shrugged, "Your choice." She bolted forward.

The two entered another one sided melee battle. Ranma grunted and yelled, taking blows but shrugging them off. She continued pressing forward, her attacks coming futilely vicious towards Hi. The large man had his eyes narrow as he weaved his way through Ranma's attacks. A particularly hard punch launched Ranma fifty feet back, into one of the metal buildings of the cities.

Ranma barely made a dent against the metal, gasping sharply upon contact. she simply repaired the damage in her body with magic and charged forward again.

Hi effortlessly smacked Ranma away when she came. Frustrated, he shot a jet of fire at the red-head. Ranma smiled and countered the flames with ice. She noticed how much harder it was to do now in the burning air. She ignored it and charged forward again, filling herself with Nemesis's magic once again.

The air became harder to breath. It was almost all gone. Both fighters cast a spell to allow them to breath. Hi was glaring at Ranma now; Ranma still had her sad smile. Everyone in that particular town was already dead, but Ranma knew that in others across Mercury people were just beginning to lose their lives. She bowed her head at the thought.

Hi charged forward and got a hand around Ranma's neck. Ranma struggled against the hand but her strength couldn't match that of Hi's 'battling god.' He glared spitefully and squeezed. With a sickening crack, Ranma went still. "Stay… DOWN!" Hi chucked Ranma into the ground. And Ranma stayed down, the air charm around her fading.

Hi waited for Ranma to rise again. Once he saw that she didn't, he kneeled and carved a pattern into the ground with his finger. At the same time, he mumbled words of magic. The chanting was relevantly short as a blue apparition shot out of Hi, entering Space. A moment later his body vanished, following it.

Not long after Hi left, another blue apparition appeared next to Ranma's body. It wasn't even there for a half second before it shot off into space again, carrying another blue form. Ranma's body vanished soon after.

XXXX

Everyone on the moon was horrified at the outcome of Ranma's fight. Crystal was forced to turn off the screen when Ranma didn't rise after Hi left. Tears leaked from her dark purple eyes. She placed her face in her hands and let out a sob. Marx remained emotionless as he turned and gave orders to the officers in the room.

Crystal looked up when she felt a hand on her back. Yuka stood there, trying to look strong but failing miserably. The Nekomata had her own silvery tears staining her fur. Crystal took comfort in the hand before she enveloped the mutated girl in her arms. Yuka returned the hug fiercely, trying to draw strength from it.

No one in the room noticed Kresh, still standing in his same position. The demon's frown remained on its face as it stared at the now blank screen. Suddenly, his green and blue eyes widened and he said, "Throne room!" Before the others could ask what he meant they heard a commotion outside in the hall.

A messenger burst into the war room. The woman looked afraid and excited at the same time. "Senshi Nemesis is in the throne room!" she reported. The occupants rushed outside.

The group of four made it to the throne room in time to see the Space Keeper kneeling next to Ranma's still body. Kresh quickly examined his master's body before he ripped open a portal. The demon slipped inside and it closed behind him. Crystal ignored the demon as she knelt by Ranma on the other side of the Space Keeper.

Crystal examined the neck that she thought had been broken. Instead, she found a jagged black band around Ranma's neck. The girl was unconscious, but she was undoubtedly alive. Crystal wept tears of joy, resisting an urge to hug the body.

There was another ripping sound. Kresh stepped out of his new portal, holding something in his hands. He walked over to Ranma's head and propped the girl's body up. Crystal saw a flask of something in the demon's hand. She briefly remembered that Ranma had drunk several of those flasks after fights.

Seeing Kresh's intentions, Crystal helped pry open Ranma's mouth so Kresh could poor the strange liquid in. The plasma was slow to drip out, but it no time they force fed Ranma the whole thing. After a few tense seconds of waiting, Ranma's sapphire blue eyes opened.

Ranma's first sight was a beautiful pair of dark purple eyes framed by an angelic face. Her next sight was then two very soft lumps of flesh pressing against her face. "MURPH!" Ranma groaned as Crystal hugged her.

Crystal released her, chiming her special laughter in joy. Not a second later Ranma found her face pressed against something else. This time it was a velvety soft fur that Ranma recognized as Yuka. When she was finally given air, Ranma gasped deep breaths. She mock-scowled at the girls before forcing herself into a standing position.

Ranma winced as she stood, her body not fully recovered. She wanted another thing of Liquid Life, but she knew the dangers of it. Using the magic that Kresh was emitting, Ranma transformed back into his birth form, sighing in relief as the miniskirt melted away. He turned his head and looked questionably at the Space Keeper. "Did you get him?"

The Space Keeper let out a weary sigh. "That was the most foolish thing I've seen in over seven millennium, but yes, I 'got him'."

Ranma let out a breath of relief. Crystal raised an eyebrow at Ranma. "What are you talking about? And how did you live?"

Ranma felt the metal cuff around his neck and detached it. He held it out for them to see. "Black copper. I made it just before Hi grabbed me. I let him think he broke my neck." Ranma sighed again. "Damn, that guy went around breaking black copper like it was plastic."

The Space Keeper finished the questions, "Ranma destroying the atmosphere forced Hi to space travel away instead of using his transport vessel. All of the ships on the planet melted to unusable conditions from the heat. And since I was hanging around in Mercury's orbit, I was able to catch Hi when he entered my domain. For all the strength and skill he had, he stood no chance against my abilities."

Crystal's eyes widened, "Hi is dead?" She whirled back to Ranma. "Did you plan this?"

Ranma nodded before coughing harshly and collapsing to one knee. _Damn it, I really need another flask._

Kresh wrapped Ranma's arm over his shoulder and began dragging him towards the Nemesis Guest Quarters. Everyone watched them go, silent. Crystal felt that Ranma deserved the rest, both physically and mentally. She sighed and sat down on her throne, rubbing her temples. She guessed that Nemesis could wait. Last she checked not even one percent of the total army had been defeated yet. For now, she was just happy that Ranma was alive.

XXXX

An hour later, Ranma dragged himself back to the throne room. He was no longer transformed. He looked horrible, but he couldn't allow himself to rest any longer with someone slaughtering the people on his home planet. The people lost in the 'war' weighed heavily on Ranma's mind, but he forced himself to look past it for the moment.

Ranma walked straight to Crystal after entering. His piercing blue eyes were emotionless, the seriousness of the situation calling for it. The Queen regarded him with the same look, her fascinating purple eyes now dull.

Ranma stopped before her. After a moment of silence, he asked, "…Senshi Pluto?"

Crystal gave him a small, sad smile and nodded. Ranma breathed a sigh of relief. Crystal said to him, "I believe now is a good time as any." She stood up from her throne and regally descended the steps before it.

When Crystal reached him, Ranma wrapped his left arm around her slim waist in a comforting manner. Together, they faced a random direction. To the onlookers, this looked ridiculous. However, when the two began speaking the people understood.

Crystal spoke first, "Senshi Pluto, Time Keeper, Setsuna… I'm sorry for what we have done. However…"

XXXX

Setsuna began crying once again as the Time Gates picked up the message. The gates angled in a way that the duo was facing her, speaking to her directly. The two generators unwittingly balanced each others respective forces, Chaos and Order, allowing Setsuna to view and hear them both easily.

The message hurt her. It comforted her. It started the confusion of emotions once again. When Ranma spoke, Setsuna felt her heart clench painfully. The blundering martial artist, her skilled trainer, and her good friend managed to elicit a laugh from her, the amusement drowned in a sea of pain and sorrow.

Tears continued flowing after the speech. It held such a sense of finality that Setsuna felt that she knew the outcome before it even happened. Setsuna let out a mirthless laugh at that - the Time Keeper knowing the future. Currently, however, the Chaos Ranma brought to the Moon Kingdom with his presence actually didn't allow Setsuna to view the future. All she could see were flashes and a score of blackness.

Once it was over, Setsuna knew that it wouldn't be the last time she watched the speech. If it played out like she felt it would, she would have a _lot_ of time to view it again. Setsuna hit the shifting white floor next to her with her fist in anger. Suddenly, the storm of confusion began once again.

XXXX

Ranma and Crystal both finished their speech with small smiles. Afterwards, they embraced tightly. Ranma had his eyes closed as he held Crystal's lithe form to his. Crystal was no different as she clenched his sturdy body tightly. A single tear fell from Ranma's eye. Slowly, reluctantly, they drew apart. They locked eyes for a moment and shared a smile before finally releasing each other. Ranma's left arm fell limply to his side as Crystal returned to her throne.

Their minds back on the war, they accessed the satellites and zoomed in on Makusu's location on Nemesis. Ranma resisted a wince. Hundreds of thousands of corpses littered what had to be called a battlefield. The lone combat squad member was trapped in a box formation amongst a sea of troops.

Ranma frowned at the fight, however. While Makusu was easily killing the soldiers, albeit a rigorous task with the Nemesisians commanding great skill and teamwork, his method of 'planetary extinction' was remarkably slow. For one, the Nemesis Imperial Army was three billion strong – the benefit of planet unity.

Ranma assumed that Makusu had the same magic power-up that the others had had, but the video showed that the man had yet to use it. It was almost like the man was waiting for something. Ranma felt he knew what it was; Makusu was waiting for him. Regardless, Ranma knew he had to confront the man. If he didn't come, Makusu would continue his rampage until his grueling task was complete.

Ranma turned to the Space Keeper, seeing the man looking at him expectantly. Before he could speak, however, a cold feeling shot through Ranma's spine. Right after that, Ranma felt waves of power rolling over him. Something powerful, immensely powerful, had come to the moon.

Kresh was the only other one to recognize the feeling. Everyone else looked around confused. Messengers from the war room burst through the front entrance, but Ranma was already moving.

Ranma bolted up a staircase, praying it wouldn't be too late. He transformed as he ran, the Senshi Uniform melding onto him. Right after, Ranma's form blurred as he reached his maximum speed. He reached the balcony just in time… to see that he was too late.

"SERENITY, NO!" Endymion shouted, his battered form floating upward after a large explosion.

Ranma was still running, but he knew it would be too late. Princess Serenity was running towards the edge. Ranma cursed as his muscles strained. "STAY BACK!" Endymion shouted.

Selene jumped. The powerful wind swept to her towards the Prince of Earth. Ranma skidded to a stop, helpless. The Moon Princess shouted, "Endymion-sama!"

Endymion's eyes widened. He reached out for her. "SERENITY!"

Selene reached her hand out, her flowing white dress dancing in the wind. Their hands reached closer and closer, almost touching. Finally, the hands met and Endymion pulled the princess to him. They shared one last hug together.

Ranma saw a dark form in the sky. It roared in an inhumanly deep rumble before a massive ball of green formed in its mouth. Ranma ripped magic from Nemesis, flooding himself with it. He desperately tried to gather it for a spell, but it was too late.

With another roar, the thing in the sky unleashed a pillar of green energy. The spell impacted the lovers before Ranma could do anything. They were torn apart, bodies drifting away in the violent storm.

"SELENE!" Ranma heard someone shouting. He looked down and saw Crystal running through the demolished courtyard, tears streaming from her eyes.

Ranma's eyes snapped back to the sky when he heard a demented laughter. He saw a woman in dusty purple dress the same style as Crystals. Her flaming red hair danced in the winds. She carried a large staff in one hand. In an amused voice, the woman gloated, "She's dead! The Moon Princess is dead!"

Crystal fell to her knees, crying in horror. Ranma quickly appeared by her side. He kneeled next to her, his arm around her shoulder protectively. He wanted to bow his head for the woman's lost daughter, but his eyes remained locked on Beryl, radiating malice.

Crystal fell forward, falling to her hands with her head bowed. "Selene…" She choked out.

Ranma could see the two corpses still floating in the ungodly wind. Tears fell from the dead princess's eyes, also carrying in the wind.

He finally glanced at the woman he was holding. Queen Serenity had sat back up. She was staring at her Ginzuisho sadly, but her eyes held a steady resolve. Ranma knew what was to happen and helped her stand.

Ranma heard people approaching. Kresh was immediately by Ranma's side, his bone white shield and spear at the ready. Yuka wasn't far behind, running with the Space Keeper.

Sending out his senses, Ranma felt the other life on the planet. Battle had erupted all around the moon. The elite royal guard was struggling against the invading troops, the brutally strong ones that Endymion had warned Ranma of. General Hisako was just outside the palace, organizing her troops with inspiring resolve. Marx himself was engaged in combat with a single soldier. Ranma recognized him – it was Lee.

All across the moon the battles raged. The impossibly strong ground troops of the Dark Moon were backed by an aerial defense, heavy battleships sending out major blasts towards Lunar Defense positions. In some areas the blasts were so strong that the very moon itself was scarred from the explosions.

The Lunar Royal Guard was mercilessly slaughtered by the ground troops. The four lieutenants of Earth, now Generals of the Dark Moon Kingdom, laughed wickedly as they guided their unstoppable forces.

On the other side of the moon, General Catharine had long since discovered how out-matched she was. She raised her two-handed great sword above her head, the silvery blade gleamed sharply despite the blood covering it. To her remaining troops, she shouted, "For Serenity-sama! For the Moon Kingdom!" She howled in bloodlust and beheaded a stunned Dark Moon soldier. Her face held a snarl as she led her troops forward.

The women following Catharine shouted in response. They all entered their formation and managed to hold off a wave of Dark Moon troops. However, soldiers were dropping left and right, clearing on the losing side.

Catharine saw her dying troops falter. Her eyes flashed as she yelled to them, "To the death!" Suddenly, she went cold. Looking down, Catharine saw a blade sticking out of her stomach.

The general turned away from her troops, back towards the invading horde. She saw a man in a black suit of armor standing there. Catharine yelled and cleaved him in half, the sword still impaled through her. She stumbled after that, her strength disappearing. Catharine grunted and charged forward.

The troops saw their leader still fighting and charged back in, hacking, slashing, and dying more eagerly than before. The women embraced death as their own blades tasted the enemies' blood. None of the remaining troops went down without taking an enemy with them.

Catharine sluggishly swung left and right, her form sloppy yet her blade just as deadly. She was able to take down five more Dark Moon soldiers before she unwillingly dropped her massive sword, its weight being too much for her. Furious, Catharine snagged a short sword from a nearby corpse and impaled another Dark Moon soldier.

The wild leader hissed in pain as another blade pierced her armor. She grabbed the man's breastplate with her free hand and yanked him towards her. Her eyes burned with rage as she whipped her blade around and slit his throat, dropping the man on the ground. Catharine struggled to her feet, wavering.

She deflected a spear aside and swung at the man holding it. The Dark Moon soldier easily dodged to the side. Catharine swung again, but the soldier dodged once again before slamming his plated elbow into Catharine's face. With blood streaming from her nose and two blades inside her, Catharine screamed in rage once again. She reversed her hold on the sword and split open the surprised soldier.

Catharine smirked as the man fell to the ground screaming, clutching his fatal wound. She fell after him, hitting the dirty, grey ground roughly. Knowing she was dying, Catharine could only watch the rest of the battle. She proudly watched her troops fight to the death, each battling as fiercely as she had.

Eventually the Dark Moon Soldiers overwhelmed Catharine's troops, and she lost sight of them in the sea of black invaders. Catharine winced and her head fell to the ground. Her vision began to darken. She sniffed disgustedly. She couldn't believe she had been stabbed in the back. With that angry thought, she breathed her last.

Similar losses were suffered all around the moon. In no time, the rest of the moon's forces were defeated and slaughtered. It all seemed so sudden, so fast. The massacre couldn't even be called a war.

At the Lunar Palace, things were calming down. Ranma, Queen Serenity, Kresh, the Space Keeper, and Yuka stood before the leaders of the Dark Moon. Across from them were Queen Metaria, her black armor looking like Death itself, Queen Beryl hovering above the ground, Lee with his blade stained red, and the ex-Earth lieutenants. Countless soldiers and demons stretched behind the leaders. Behind Ranma were the remains of the Lunar Palace. More blasts from Beryl's sky demon had destroyed the rest of it before Metaria appeared and the 'sky demon' vanished.

Marx lay dead off to the side. His massive form was draped protectively over his wife's, General Hisako's, corpse. Blood spilled from a massive gouge on his back. His bastard sword was impaled into the ground nearby.

The two sides were silent for a moment, each bearing their power. Kresh burned with the moon's magic, his demonic side more evident with the powerful waves rolling from him. Metaria's great sword was drawn, the black blade crackling as lightning danced up and down its length. Ranma frowned at them, filled to the brim with Nemesis's magic. Power rippled around Beryl's form, her staff held before her menacingly. Crystal had the Ginzuisho held out, the legendary weapon giving even Metaria pause. The Space Keeper had his hollow, stone-like face in its most intimidating expression. The man gripped his Stasis Scepter tightly. Lee's blood-stained sabre was drawn and gleaming in the unique light of the moon's sky.

Metaria broke the silence. She grinned wickedly, "I would like to thank you, my key, for giving me access to the kingdom. Ranma, you have done me a great ser-"

"Just shut the hell up," Ranma interrupted, blue eyes flashing dangerously. "If you're gonna do something, do it. Don't waste your time talking about it. First lesson I taught my Senshi."

"And look at what happened to them!" Metaria snarled, her face distorting with rage. The lightning around her sword began moving more frantically. A deathly green ball of energy appeared at the tip. It looked remarkably similar to the attacks the 'sky demon' had been launching previously. With a yell, Metaria sent off the now massive orb in a pillar of green.

Despite the raw power behind it, the attack never even made it halfway. When the dust cleared, Kresh shook his head slowly, the gesture coming as remarkably frightening from the small yet immensely powerful demon.

Metaria glared furiously. "You – will – die!" She gestured forward with her sword, commanding the horde to attack. The countless demons and empowered soldiers began moving. Beryl swung the staff above her head, beginning a spell.

"Ranma…" Crystal warned as she eyed the oncoming swarm.

Ranma glanced at her. "Uh, right! Kresh, go back home. I don't want you caught in the after effects of this."

Kresh didn't seem to mind his master explaining his actions for once. Without a word, the Guardian Urgok opened a portal and left with a dark glare on his face.

Now that Kresh was gone, Crystal unleashed the power of the Ginzuisho. The Dark Moon forces were almost upon them. With a feminine shout, Crystal swung the rod above her head. "_MOON HEALING ESCALATION!"_ Pink light burst tore through the area.

Pink orbs burst from the Ginzuisho towards the army. The balls cut devastating paths through the Dark Moon. Hundreds of thousands screamed in agony as their lives were viciously torn away. Beryl and Metaria lasted the longest.

"Metaria-sama!" Beryl screamed in fear as parts of her flesh were stripped away. The pink light bathed around her, purify and thus destroying her.

Metaria could do nothing. Orb after orb slammed into her, her shrieks turning into the inhuman roar that the sky demon once bellowed. Her armor was torn away. Ranma saw the fiery marks on her exposed skin. Then, the rest of Metaria was ripped apart.

The five Dark Moon Generals, the four ex-Earth lieutenants and Lee, screamed as they were also torn apart. "Metaria-sama!" they screamed to their leader before they finally vanished.

Beryl was no more than a black outline amongst the pink now, the last of her being banished away. She screamed once again before the pink light swept her away as well.

There was a final pulse of pink light. After the light faded, all was silent. The artificial light that once danced across the moon sky was gone. The starry black night could be seen now.

Ranma was the first to notice something wrong. "N-No…" His scythe slipped through his fingers. It clattered woodenly on the moon ground, completely ignored. Ranma fell after it, landing on his knees. "Can we never win?" he whispered.

"Yuka…" Crystal breathed out, horrified. "I never thought that they… that they actually…"

Yuka, one of the few survivors of the palace's destruction, was now gone. She had been swept away with the Dark Moon. The experiments that they had performed on her didn't just mutate her body; they had actually managed to turn her into a demon. At least, they transformed her enough for the Ginzuisho to banish her like one. The spell was meant to remove demons and anything as corrupt as one, such as the Dark Moon's soldiers.

Tears fell from Ranma's eyes as yet another friend was torn from him. Too much had been lost. The damn war should never have happened.

Crystal sighed heavily, saddened by the newest loss. She put a delicate hand on Ranma's shoulder. "At least she will be there when the Dark Moon break free."

Of the many things they discussed, this was one of them. They had had many different plans, different counters for as many scenarios as they could think of. Through it all, however, they made sure to have plan 'z' at the ready: if all is lost, banish the army to the future and use remaining power to revive the Senshi then as well.

With tears still falling, Ranma muttered, "I don't want to lose you too."

Crystal squeezed his shoulder. She smiled sadly. "I have to, Ranma. The Dark Moon needs to be stopped. I can't leave this half-finished."

Ranma stood back up and hugged her tightly, tears falling more freely. "Please, don't do this. I _can't_ lose you too."

Crystal hugged him back just as hard, tears threatening to break her own impenetrable defenses. "Ranma…" she whispered to him. She recovered herself and hesitantly but firmly pushed Ranma back. "Ranma, you don't have a choice in this. This needs to be done."

Once Ranma pulled himself back together, he stared down at the ground. He knew that it had to happen, but he had lost too much already. As much as he didn't want her to, they already agreed on it.

Crystal took a deep breath. "Ranma, there is one thing I must warn you about. When the Ginzuisho was forged, there was only one thing forbidden. It could grant immortality. To use it on a Senshi would forever lock them into their duties; they would eternally be a Senshi. Every time they died they would simply be born again the next instant somewhere else. Immortality is a dangerous thing, a cruel thing. One should never have to be burdened with it. The only way to escape this unending life would be to destroy the Ginzhisho. That is the very thing I plan on my daughter doing once you defeat the Dark Moon.

"I have privately asked all of the other Senshi for their acceptance of this fate. All have agreed that if it came to it, they would bear the burden. You are the last. Metaria will return, we both know that. The Senshi will need your help in the future. They will be without guidance. However, I will not force this burden onto you. You have a choice to accept this curse or reject it. Which do you choose?"

Ranma wiped away the last of his tears. "I'm always ready to bear another curse." He tried to muster his old smirk but failed miserably. Crystal nodded in sadness. "I'll get Kresh to kill Makusu and protect Nemesis after I go."

Crystal watched as Ranma channeled magic into his demon master tattoo. _Kresh, remember that thing we talked about?_

The conversation took longer than Crystal expected, but she understood that his demons would be very reluctant to have their master leave so suddenly. He must have comforted them with the fact that he would be returning to them whenever the spell released him in the future.

Ranma looked ready. Crystal had another sad smile on as she raised the Ginzuisho. She wished she could go with him, to tell him of things that had been keeping her up at night, but she had no intention of going into the future. She gave that right to her daughter, Selene. The moon princess had been trained and was everything Crystal ever wanted. She was comforted by the fact that her daughter would live on. Selene would be given ownership of the Ginziusho – something that couldn't be passed along unless the predecessor was dead.

Crystal removed the Ginzuisho from the Moon Stick and held it out into her palm. Luna and Artemis already had their orders on what to do with the Moon Stick. The silver ball rose into the air. Ranma, Crystal, and the Space Keeper watched it go.

Once the ball reached a certain height, it exploded into light. Orbs shot off into Space, going out to collect their targets and bring them to Earth. Ranma saw a sphere carry Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion into the sky, towards Earth. He wished them good luck as they left. Another orb came to his still living body. As it surrounded him, Ranma smiled sadly at Crystal.

Crystal finally cried as she saw Ranma get consumed by the sphere. The two locked eyes. She tried to smile for Ranma's sake, but it was hard and very fake.

The gold orb that surrounded Ranma suddenly shifted. Crystal had no time to gasp before the orb expelled Ranma and swallowed her. Her eyes widened in shock. Ranma picked himself off the ground, still smiling his sad smile. He had used his magic to force the orb onto her, and without the Ginzuisho Crystal could do nothing to stop it.

Crystal frantically beat the orb, trying to escape. Her spirit separated from her body, getting carried away by the orb. Ranma waved her goodbye.

"No!" Crystal screamed. "You don't understand! You can't do this!" She looked frantic as she tried to warn him. "You can't do this with Selene! Ranma, please!" Her voice grew softer and softer as she drifted further and further away.

While she was still close enough to speak to, a sudden anxiety rose in Ranma. This was the last he would ever see her, and there was just one thing he wanted to tell her before it was too late. Just one thing! The words were in his mouth, in his mind, but he just couldn't let them out.

Instead, Ranma watched until she was just a gold dot in the sky. He could see other gold dots joining Crystal's, the other Senshi's orbs gathering. He looked away when he heard a sound.

Crystal's still body hit the floor, her life the forfeit of the spell. Ranma's smile faded as he kneeled besides the corpse. Tears began falling once again as he cradled Crystal against his chest. At least she would live. That's all that mattered to him.

The Space Keeper, having been silent this whole time, finally said, "Shall we go now?"

Ranma set Crystal down as gently as he could. He stood up and nodded. Only one person remained and then it would all be over. Only Earth and Nemesis had survived, but that was enough for him. Setsuna had lived as well, and not a single Urgok lost their life. That was one hundred times better than what he expected.

Ranma opened his mouth to respond to the Space Keeper, but he suddenly collapsed back to the ground. He cried out in pain. Ranma clenched his chest, but the pain was much deeper than that. He felt his magic, Nemesis's magic, getting ripped away. Never before had something felt so awful. He could feel slimy, disgusting 'hands' reaching inside Nemesis's core.

Frantic now, Ranma forced himself to his feet and yelled, "Hurry!" The Space Keeper quickly grabbed him and shot off their ki without a word.

An instant later the two appeared on Nemesis. The Space Keeper left without a word, leaving Ranma to do his thing.

Ranma stared in horror as hordes of demons crawled around. The battalions of the Nemesisian Army that weren't engaged with Makusu were trying to fight the demons off, but the numbers were overwhelming. The troops held solid against the waves of hellish creatures, but every wave brought more soldiers down.

XXXX

On Earth, a hellish red portal ripped open with a wail. Lord Loss hovered out of it, his red eyes narrow. Two of his familiar clamored out after him, but the demon master paid them no mind. He was current engaged with something up in the sky, something a normal person couldn't see.

Lord Loss could feel billions of demons approaching the weakened and unprotected planet. His usual sad voice now carried an undertone of anger, "I told you to be careful, Queen Metaria. You should have accepted my condition."

Magic burst forth from the demon master. Despite his already ridiculous reserves, he stole magic from the Earth, the moon, the sun, and many of the stars above. The entire sky seemed to dim after that. Lord Loss used the additional magic. He forced all of it to surround the Earth as he chanted in a hollow, ghastly tone.

The demon master trembled from the power he was exerting. His chanting continued for a few more minutes. Finally, the last notes drifted out and all fell silent. The magic surrounding the Earth solidified into something else. It was a demon barrier – a net that prevented any demon (besides himself obviously) from entering the planet. The hordes of demons shrieked and snarled as they were prevented access. With a wave of his hand, the demons exploded into piles of gore, dripping past the barrier.

Lord Loss smiled sadly to his two whimpering familiar. "So much has been lost in this futile war. There is so much sorrow, suffering, death. The humans are the only species able to produce such delicious grievances. They must not be exterminated." With that, he left back through his portal, the two familiar following.

XXXX

Ranma slashed Harrowing after Harrowing at the demons. The spell had a wide radius that wiped out dozens at a time, but there were just so many of them. By the time he killed the last one, the Nemesisian soldiers in the area had all been slain. Piles of demon corpses surrounded the dead soldiers, but their mighty efforts weren't enough.

Ranma cursed once he killed the last demon. He could feel that countless more were on the planet, slaughtering more soldiers and civilians. More than a few were reaching inside Nemesis's core and stealing her magic. Ranma knew he didn't stand much of a chance against whatever was stealing the magic. Not to mention Makusu still continued his rampage in the center of the main Nemesisian forces.

Ranma shouldered his scythe and struggled to think of a solution. Just as he did so, however, a person appeared before him. Nemesis crashed into him, hugging him tightly as she cried. After a moment of surprise, Ranma struggled to comfort her, remembering her earlier words about demons touching her core. Nemesis, an ancient and powerful being, whimpered at the things being done to her.

Awhile later, the two were sitting on the blood-stained purple grass. Corpses of various demons littered the ground, but the duo ignored them. Ranma whispered soft words of comfort into Nemesis's ear. The woman still shivered, but her crying had stemmed.

"I promise I'll kill them all," Ranma muttered. "We will have vengeance."

Nemesis frantically shook her head. She clutched his chest and began weeping. "You can't win! Three demon masters are here, including Sir Anquish!"

Ranma went cold. One demon master was more than enough to stop Ranma. Three were… He hugged Nemesis again. "What can I do?"

"Use… E-Eris Ascension," Nemesis whispered to him.

Ranma held her at arms length. "No!" He had promised to never use the spell for a very specific reason. "I will not condemn another planet to death!"

Nemesis still had tears leaking as she argued, "You must…"

Ranma held her to him again and whispered, "I don't want you to die. I won't allow that to happen. Not to another…"

Nemesis closed her eyes, knowing about Crystal. She said, "I would rather die than continue getting raped by these demons." She shivered again, feeling another foreign and corrupt hand reaching into her core and drawing out her power. "And I want every one of these bastards going down with me."

Ranma hesitated, not knowing what to do. He could feel Nemesis's will trying to force his own, but this defied everything he stood for. To willing kill a friend just for vengeance? He couldn't do it. However, that may very well be the only way to stop the demons from continuing onward. He didn't want to have to make this decision. Things should never have gotten this bad.

Nemesis suddenly moved around in his arms and kissed him on the lips. Ranma froze, his thoughts stopping. After a moment, Nemesis pulled away. More tears were in her eyes. "Ranma… I-I love you, but you have to do this. Please, use the Eris Ascension."

Ranma's mind began functioning again. "Why- when did- What?" he stammered, not knowing what to ask.

Nemesis sighed and rested against his chest. "I've felt this way for a long time, but I finally realized it once you became my Senshi. I didn't say anything because of what you told me with your life in Nerima. I didn't want you to feel that way about me." She looked up into his eyes. "But right now this isn't important. What's important is that you stop those demons here and now. Cast the spell."

Ranma still hesitated. He didn't care that his own life was the forfeit. To destroy an entire planet… Ranma closed his eyes in pain as he slowly nodded his consent. The two stood up.

Ranma wrapped his one arm around the shivering Nemesis before kissing her once again. The two smiled sadly at each other, taking comfort in each other's presence. He didn't have the strength to shout it, so he simply uttered, "Eris… Ascension." They embraced after that.

The effects were immediate. All of Nemesis's magic, including that which Ranma himself and the demon master's had stolen, was sucked into the planet. All of it compressed down, forming a ball in the center of the planet. The grass and trees died as the magic drained away, getting sucked dry by the orb in the center.

The duo knew what was going to happen next. Ranma, however, acted without warning. His hand shot into Nemesis's chest, it going beyond physical as he reached into her spirit. The woman gaped at him in shock. Ranma gripped something and ripped his hand out and a burst of light. In his hand, glowing with burning power, was Nemesis's Planetary Heart Crystal. The crystal was like an embossed gem. It was a massive, black jewel surrounded by silvery wires that looked almost like metal veins.

Ranma forced the Planetary Heart Crystal into his scythe, praying to whatever power existed that his crazy idea would work. With a shout of success, the crystal fused into the wood of his scythe in a burst of silvery light. Nemesis's body dissolved into dust, blowing away with the wind. Silver vines, like the Heart Crystal had had, crept around the wood. Finally, the two fused completely. Ranma smiled once before he used the magic that the demons had emitted earlier to banish the scythe into Space.

After that, Ranma allowed a happier smile on his face. Two of the four people he wanted to live through the war now did, and the other two were getting revived by the Ginzuisho some time in the future. Crystal, Setsuna, Nemesis, and Hotaru were safe, even if all of them damaged in their own ways. Regardless, he had done what he wished.

The orb in the center of the planet exploded outward. The magic vaporized all the life on the surface, the demons vanishing in an instant. Makusu was obliterated with the demons. Ranma himself was finally killed in the backlash. The power ruptured the planet, splitting it apart. The atmosphere dissolved. The chunks of the lifeless planet drifted apart. The orbit of the once-planet pulled the chunks around, spreading them in a large ring. The ring rested between Mars and Jupiter, forming what would later be called the asteroid belt.

XXXX

Setsuna watched in horror as the screen stopped flickering. The massive black and silver planet clearly broke apart. There was no way anyone could have survived that. That fact was verified when all of the problems with the gates, caused by the proximity of Ranma, vanished. Setsuna cried out. Grief tore into her heart. The solar system, once bearing a proud twelve planets, now dropped from ten planets to nine. Even worse in Setsuna's opinion was that only one of those planets still bore life. The gates switched to a view of the blue and green planet.

Setsuna stood in a flash, Garnet Rod at the ready, when she felt something trespass into her domain. She relaxed only slightly when she saw the Space Keeper. Setsuna wiped her tears before asking, "Xycell, what are you doing here?"

The man, tall but gaunt, was still completely covered by his blood red cloak. He held his Stasis Scepter in his left hand. He was looking sadly at what was in his right. Setsuna frowned at the object. It looked like Ranma's scythe, but it was covered by a spider web of thick, silver veins. The weapon radiated a familiar power that Setsuna couldn't seem to place.

Xycell, the Space Keeper, looked up into Setsuna's eyes. "The Generators are dead. We are free… and I have an idea."

* * *

_(1) :D_

_(2) Quite possibly the last introduction to the demonata-style magic for Banishment. As this implies, you _can _turn parts of your body into something else. In the third book, Grubbs turns both of his legs into metal spikes when he is lying down and impales a demon that tries to jump on him._

_(3) This isn't some crazy new fact or revelation, people. It just seems like the situation would imply that Ranma is immune to fire when he isn't. Everyone knows that when you cast a fireball, it doesn't hurt you while it's in your hands. I'm just reminding you. :D_

* * *

**Post-story Announcements:**

_**Banishment is over, done, finished, with no mas.**_ Everyone is dead and we are at our end. I hope you enjoyed it. Goodbye… Nah, just kidding. Incoming Resurrection (hmm, I wonder how the title relates to the sequel…).

_REASONS for certain things:_ Alright, more than a few of you might be wondering why I did really cliché things like how the planet's die and Ranma make the Sahara Desert. More than a few things had been planned since I started this story, even before I knew _how_ it would happen. For one, Nemesis becoming part of the scythe (and even the look with silver vines) had been planned since before I started this. That was supposed to be a key element of this story (before I decided to make a whole story about Ranma living in the Moon Kingdom).

Everything from Nemesis becoming the asteroid belt to the gas planets dying from… well, gases was also planned. Three years ago I was toying around with 'how Silver Millennium peeps lived on the planets when right now they are inhospitable' and this was what came out of it. How they died specifically, like Plague and Hi and Chiyo wiping out the planets, didn't come to me until chapter 3. Things just spiraled from there.

The Sahara Desert… Well, that was kinda a surprise for me. I randomly saw a clip where Endymion was dressed up like some Middle Eastern guy (white face mask and everything (I think called Moonlight Knight)) and decided that the Earth palace was in the Middle East. And, well, the Middle East three thousands years ago was full of plants and life and stuff, so I just kinda played with the idea.

Hi having the 'Mark of the Battling God.' Well folks… Um… I don't really know what to say on this one. I personally was laughing as I wrote that, but I mean… Okay, well, I knew Hi had to be almost unstoppable. I had no idea how to do so besides saying he was really, really experienced. Then at some point I randomly remembered that Ranma episode and wondered why no one else ever had the 'invincible' mark. Putting my problem and my revelation together, you get… Hi with the mark. Ta da.

Another thing that was planned at the beginning was Yuka. The Nekomata had plans since I made the Nemesis-scythe. She was to be banished by Queen Serenity accidentally and to be a friend of Ranma. When I first talked about Yuka in the Jupiter mines I didn't realize she would be my choice until I magically realized she qualified for the 'purple eyed cat demon' requirement (specifically when I wrote the preview saying "This IS her.").

Last thing that was planned before I wrote this: Ranma only being able to use one arm. I didn't want it to be a big deal or go into detail on this. The story's original form was brief flashes of the Moon Kingdom in the 2nd chapter before things appeared back in Japan in chapter 3, one of the 'unknown' things being Ranma's one arm. That is why chapter two is so sketchy in form (which I shall rewrite eventually). I know I made a lame excuse for Ranma keeping the 'one arm' thing, but hey, it's supposed to be that way. -_-

Possible Plot Holes: I don't know if I mentioned this before, or let it slip out before, but the tattoo from Mary doesn't just show the date. She said it reveals time. The first time Ranma looked at it, and a few other times, he was only looking for the date and saw that. He can, however, look at it for the regular time if he wants.

_Why did the Dark Moon have all that Mercurian technology and drug?_ As implied in chapter three, the Dark Moon had been kidnapping people and converting them for a long time. Like how Hi was from Mars (only implied but is true) and Tachi is half-Plutoian. They had captured many Mercurians who they then got to work for them, and yes that doctor chick was originally from Mercury.

(Some plot holes will be resolved in the prologue of the sequel, but feel free to point out anything you think I missed.)

Question: Have any of you actually read Demonata? Or are you all just taking it into stride?

Quick Poll Results: (I hate you all)

(2) Yes, interlude.

(3) No interlude; start the war!

NEW SEMI-IMPORTANT POLL: Should Ranma have his other arm back? I wasn't planning on it originally, but I felt like I should give you guys the choice. Personally, I like the one-armed Ranma, but some of you don't (or don't think it's practical), so vote away:

(0) Ranma gets use of his arm back (when he is resurrected (oh shi- I mean, some time during the sequel… titled Resurrection.)).

(0) Leave Ranma as-is.

Goodbye (oh boy), Marx, Fugao, Hoshiko, Reyth, Sydney, Plague, Chiyo, 'Tony' the tiger-demon, Yusuke, Hi, Makusu, Hisako, Catharine, Kenichi, Mercury's husband, Hanako, Hayate, and Lee (I think). Uzuki family, I shalln't forget you. Although you have such a small part and have almost no 'family-bonding' time, you did your part. Uncle Sydney, I can't believe I never mentioned how awesome you were. Hell, I can't believe that this is your first appearance since 'Ranma's birth.' I will miss all of you, my beautiful and dead OCs. All my other OC's that you readers are wondering about that aren't mentioned here are chars that will be in the sequel. (Challenge: which two amazing OCs aren't listed as dead in any of my chapters... and damn straight that means they will be in the sequel. Welcome back (blank) and (blank).)

* * *

Sub-Zero879: QUIET DOWN!

Marx: No, you quiet down! You completely skimmed over my awesome and dramatic death-scene where I valiantly defend my wife before I get struck down.

Churro: 4-4-45,500 words…

Hisako: You know, Sub, that wasn't really nice. I mean, Marx is the lovable side-char who never really reached the spot light.

Catharine: Yeah. Don't get me wrong, I like how I was the only General to get their death-scene, but I think the others should have theirs shown too.

Sub-Zero879: STFU before I cut you out too! Geeze, people these days… Senshi Coronis, you still love me right?

Coronis: I get… two shot.

Sub-Zero879: Would you rather get stabbed in the back before getting stabbed AGAIN in the stomach? You were a merciful insti-kill. I always liked you, so I thought I would be nice…

Coronis: Feh, you gave me as much screen time as the Sailor Moon creator did.

Sub-Zero879: One panel? Seriously? Come on, you were even 'ready for the invaders' and got an attack off… before you died.

Hi: Someone get this fucking ridiculous gay-assed mark off my stomach! WTF!

Churro: 4-4-45,500 words…

Ryu: I can't believe you made up some stupid poison in order to kill me… 'Black Blood'… ooh real creative. I can see your excellence now.

Sub-Zero879: Dear god is everyone gonna be a whiner? Makes me wish I killed you all in more painful, less epic (Catharine) ways.

Mihoshi: I still love you.

Sub-Zero879: Oh yeah, you blame the readers who voted that you died in order for Ranma to 'hook-up' with Setsuna. Lol, I wonder why I never put that in the story. Meh, welcome to the 'dead OC club.'

Churro: … 4-4-45,500 words.

* * *

AN: Well folks, this is the end. I personally think that I didn't do so well on this war and that it could have been much, much more epic, but things played out the way things play out. I'm sorry to anyone who didn't like this. You're welcome to anyone who did like this.

One thing I would like to point out to you peeps is my writing style. I'm sure a few of you noticed that I open a ton of 'possible paths.' That gives me a huge variety of things that I can choose to follow when the time comes, or I can skip past it. However, I always feel the need to close or limit my 'possible paths,' which is what's giving me so many words in my chapters.

Here is a chain of 'possible paths' that I followed. First is the introduction of the demonata universe and the style of magic it brought. From there, I let Senshi use their planets' magic like raw magic. On that, I limited it by having the body fail from channeling too much magic. I then opened another 'possible path' by allowing Liquid Life to restore the body. I then limited that by only allowing five flasks before 'bad things' happen. As you can see, I then had another option for how things play out in the end, such as Ranma actually taking and risking a fifth flask. He didn't, however, so I closed that path. But now I still have that 'possible path' in the sequel.

I feel like my entire story follows endless patterns like this, all of them streaming together in chapters. I feel… tired because of it. I don't know why I told yall that, but then again no one ever reads AN's so it doesn't really matter.

A final note for my own comfort, I want to know how you other authors are taking this fact: Ranma is 16 years old. I started this story when I was 13 (as you may be able to tell), and now it's been three years and I find myself the same age as Ranma. It feels so… weird. Hell, I'm actually older than most of the Senshi now. Like… WTF? It feels so weird!

* * *

_**Alternant Ending Omake:**_

Crystal's eyes widened in shock. How could she have been so wrong? She coughed, blood splattering on the floor. Ranma tugged his scythe out, eviscerating the woman. She fell to the carpeted floor of her room. Ranma's cold eyes stared at her dying form. He spat on her. With a twirl, his scythe beheaded the Queen of the Moon Kingdom.

Ranma pulled out a small object that looked like a mirror. "Metaria-sama, mission complete. The Queen has been assassinated." It may have been almost two years since he was given the mission, but Ranma specifically remembered 'do what ever it takes to get out alive.'

He received his new orders and nodded. Ranma, now dressed in his combat squad uniform with his Revolutionary Crest reading 'Reaper,' ran out of the Queen's room. He smirked viciously as a horde of girls began following him, screaming their love.

He led the girls into a dead-end and turned on them. Lightning fast, Ranma cut down his pursuers. Not a second later a form melded out of Ranma's shadow. Plague grabbed Ranma and took him to the waiting Dark Moon ship. The group got out of there fast, not wanting to test how long their micro-EMP's lasted.

As they flew away, a new person appeared next to Ranma. Seeing the newcomer, Ranma smiled and wrapped _both_ of his arms around her. The girl responded immediately, having a smile of her own. "Welcome back, honey," the girl whispered to him.

"It's nice to see you too, Nemesis-chan," Ranma whispered, his soft side showing.

"Oh, get a room," Hi muttered as he passed by.

Ranma and Nemesis smirked at each other. That seemed like an EXCELLENT idea. Not much later the whole spaceship began rhythmically jerking as they flew back to the Dark Moon Kingdom.

* * *

_KACHU TENSHIN AMAGURIKEN_

_HIRYU SHOTEN HA_

_BAKUSAI TENKETSU_

_MOKO TAKABISHA_

_SHADOW DANCE_

_SHADOW DRAGON_

_SILENCE GLAIVE SURPRISE_

_SILENCE WALL_

_FUBUKI SOUSOU_

_CHAOS BOLT_

_ERIS ASCENSION_

_DEATH REBORN REVOLUTION_

_REAPER'S HARROWING_

_PANDAEMONIUM_


End file.
